This Time For Hinata
by MRBee
Summary: Naruto gets a second chance at life. But now there's a worse threat than Akatsuki. With Kami's blessing he's off to save the world and get the attention of a certain Hyuuga. NaruHina Full Sum on ch 1. Rewritten.
1. Facing Death

**AUG: 16- NEW CHAPTER!! COMPLETELY REWRITTEN**

**MUST REVIEW THIS FIRST CHAPTER BEFORE MOVING ON**

Full Summary: In search for Sasuke, Hinata is brought with the newly formed Team Kakashi (includes Sai and Yamato). The encounter brings the death of Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto. Naruto is then picked up by the Oniouji but is saved by Kami and sent back in time... but there's a catch, he must help in the defeat of the Oniouji, but that will come in time... or so kami says. Now back in time, he must not only defeat these powerful foes, but also protect his precious people and recognize a certain lavender-eyed girl.

**This chapter is COMPLETELY different from the original first chapter. It starts of in the first Sasuke retrieval on Shippuuden. I'll have the next chapter rewritten real soon. But only CH1 and CH2 are going to be completely rewritten, the rest will be touched up and slightly altered.**

(A/N Chidori Nagashi- Chidori Discharge)

* * *

A loud explosion was heard and the sound of footsteps soon followed.

"Over there!" a teen shouted. The older female of the group led the other three into a corridor. Just as they neared its entrance, a light shined through the exit. That's where they needed to be. Within moments they found themselves in a room filled with debris. A single boy with black hair was standing in the middle. One lead teen went ahead to grab the said teen by the collar until a familiar voice was heard from up above.

"Ah it's Sakura" the mysterious boy spoke.

Looking up, she saw her target. The reason they were out here in the first place, "Sasuke-kun…"

* * *

_A Few Days Previous_

It all seemed like a typical day in Konoha. The sky was a faded blue blotted by a few roaming clouds and the sun shined down upon the city. Unknown to many, this day was the start of something huge. Three women stood on top of the Hokage's Tower. One had blonde-hair tied into two ponytails and had a huge bust. The other had raven black hair that matched her plain black yukata. The last had pink bubblegum hair and wore a red top with a pink mini-skirt and black shorts underneath. Unknown to all but the blonde women, hidden in the shadows stood another teen with sun-kissed hair.

Tsunade turned towards the brunette, eyes locking to express her seriousness, "Now do you understand why I am sending Team Kakashi Shizune?" she asked.

Her recipient slowly bowed her head and nodded, "Hai…" the women replied in a sort of defeated tone.

It was then that the older blonde allowed the presence of the other to be known, "So what do you think Naruto?" his answer was obvious but it was needed for the kunoichi in the black yukata to know why she was wrong.

His gaze went down to meet the other three below, "Let's get Sasuke back" the teen said with much determination. The blonde male was ready to make his exit in search for a fill in for the missing spot in his team until he was stopped.

"Matte Naruto! There's one more thing," she added. This caught the strong attention of both the blonde and Sakura. "As you know, this mission is of great importance but, it one where a tracking specialist is needed. Now I know you need a fourth member in you slot and her abilities in scouting shall be of great aid. I held her back from a mission solely because of this, so use the best of her abilities or I'm sure Kurenai will be a bit disappointed" the women continued.

Now pretty much everyone by this point has figured out who it was… well all but the usually dense Naruto. "Eh? So Kurenai-sensei is coming with us?" he asked a bit confused causing the pink-haired kunoichi to slap her forehead.

"No Naruto" a simple reply.

He could have sworn it would be Kurenai. I mean who else could it be, she even said that the said women would be displeased if the temporary member was not of assistance. But his thoughts were cut short by a finger pointing behind him. The teen's head cranked the other way towards a shaded area. Soon a 'thud' was heard.

'Naruto-kun! H-he's back… a-and I'm s-supposed to g-go on a m-mission with h-him…' the lavender-eyed women said. She was about to muster up some courage and step in until she was face-to-face with her blonde hero.

"Oi Hinata! Are you the one that's coming with us? That's great right Hina…ta? Oi Hinata wake up!" he screamed as soon as the girl went limp at the sight of his face being so close.

Shizune turned her face away from the commotion and towards the Hokage's. "Still think this is a good idea?" she inquired with a smirk.

"Oi obaa-chan, I think she's sick. You think you can heal her?" the whiskered genin innocently asked.

She turned her head towards the boy with a dumbstruck face, 'Damn the boy is dense' which was pretty much the same thing on the other women's minds. "She'll be fine. Why don't you go put her down in the couch inside, she needs rest is all" the Hokage answered, holding back chuckles to the absurd situation.

Once the blonde was out of view, another figure came into light. "Tsunade…" called an elder woman. She recognized her to be one of the village council and oh how she hated the village council. What ever she wanted, the pig-tailed blonde was determined to get what she wanted no matter what happens, and that was exactly what she got… to a certain extent.

* * *

_Several Hours before_

"…Kabuto" the blue-eyed Genin whispered. He readied his feet, preparing to jump into view and physically get some information until a soft hand rested on his shoulders.

"Onegai Naruto-kun, remember the plan," the lavender-eyed girl amazingly spoke without a stutter. In such a critical situation and especially stressful to the two members of Team Kakashi, her urge to comfort Naruto was currently greater than her own fear.

"Acting so rash will not only get you killed, but ruin the plan. If you wish to die, do it at you own expense and not ours," a pale-faced teen grimly explained.

This didn't go well with the other three hiding in the bush. Each feeling a bit of hatred towards the boy, and oddly it was Hinata who somewhat despised him the most, not for insulting Sasuke earlier but for the constant verbal attack he gave to _her_ 'Naruto-kun'.

The said boy gave a strong glare towards Sai, 'How the hell did he even get here? We already have a fill for the slot, and when Hinata does go back, Sasuke will come too… pale-faced son of a bitch!' thought, quietly cursing under his breath.

Then an unnerved voice came from the unspoken kunoichi, "Orochimaru… he's down there Naruto," she slightly whispered, letting out a noticeable gasp.

That was the clincher. Now he _had_ to go down there. If not for the firming grip of Hinata's hand on his shoulder, he would be on the bridge in a flash. "Gomen Naruto-kun, demo we really must wait for the s-signal" damn, she cursed her self inwardly for letting that last stutter slip. The heiress was quick to repel her hand as soon as the blonde was stable once more, hiding a slight tint of red in her cheeks.

So there he crouched on his toes, edging on the rock, waiting impatiently for the signal, 'C'mon… c'mon… kuso hurry up!' then the awaited signal was given and all that was seen was a yellow flash.

Appearing in front of both Kabuto and Orochimaru crouched a fox-like Naruto trailed by Sakura, Hinata, and Sai. "Give… Sasuke…back!" he growled in a feral voice, startling his four comrades. From there, his hearing became limited. Only the words that spoke of Sasuke's whereabouts and threats were in his line of hearing.

There! That was exactly what he heard… both info and threat pulled into one sixteen simple words. It didn't matter what those were but instincts told him to strike… and strike he did in all his one-tail power. But caught in such rage left him numb to become aware of the presence of three startled nins. Sadly, this was how they discovered his powers… no warning or comforting words that would brace their selves for the exposure of such raw power.

Before he knew it he was up to three tails and in a overwhelmingly powerful scuffle with one of the legendary Sannin. Was it odd for Naruto to get in such a state of rage in a short amount of time? Yes, unless of course the person denied freedom of his best friend and claimed ownership of him, then all is fair and logical.

'N-Naruto-kun… I-is that s-still you? W-why does this h-hurt? It looks like him… d-demo… it doesn't feel like him at all… its so e-evil…' the Hyuga teen thought watching in both fear and awe at the Jinchuuriki's great ability. The rest had similar thoughts of the boy, but neither girl seemed to let them have ill will towards the boy, feeling deep within themselves that this was a different person, that he isn't a demon. Though he resembled the Kyuubi, he wasn't it at heart.

In the boy's perspective, he was increasingly losing consciousness. Rage seemed to flood out his thoughts and inhibitions, as logic was drowned in a sea of red. The last thing he noticed was piercing yellow eyes. And the next time he awoke… all memory of him exposing his secret would be gone. But his blissful knowledge of thinking his secret is still safe wouldn't last too long.

He'd awake to find the surrounding destroyed and things in disarray. The bridge was smashed in half, a large crater was formed not to far away, Sai had supposedly betrayed the group, and Hinata had a strange wound in her arm. Naruto was told he was knocked unconscious while Orochimaru wrecked havoc and fled, but that only led to more questions. Yes his blissful ignorance couldn't of last forever whether he liked it or not.

"Hinata… are you sure your alright?" the blonde asked.

She gave him a fake smile, but truth was put plainly in her eyes. "Hai" anything else said may give away too much, but 'hai' was all she needed.

"Don't worry Naruto, I'll check her out," Sakura too gave him the same fake smile and the same worried eyes. For once he was glad that he was dense.

Then the wood wielder called out for him, "Naruto, come here for a moment. Give the girls some space while I discuss the new plan with you" he said indifferently. Just hearing of a 'new plan' got his worries out of him as he cheerily walked towards the Jounin.

"So what's the plan?" the whiskered teen asked with a grin.

Gradually Yamato's stoic face went to one of slight sadness. "You should tell them," his answer was written across the boy's face, first a shocked expression then turning into a scowl. For what reason would he need to tell them. He already had one friend leave, and now he's gotten closer to Hinata, quickly becoming one of the few trustworthy people in his eyes and his sensei wants him to let her go to?

"Why should I?" he almost shouted, to the point that if the girls had been paying attention, they'd hear his words.

It was silent for a minute, the blue-eyed genin still not getting the hint. "Who do you think hurt Hinata? Doesn't she have the right to know what happened after seeing you in such a state, as well as Sakura" he said raising his voice just a bit.

This news was world shattering to him. Not only was his secret discovered, in the worst way possible in fact, but also he'd even hurt one of his precious people with the damn fox's power. How could he ever face them again, but both Hinata and Sakura deserve the truth. 'Kuso… what do I do? Damn fox!' he shouted inwardly.

"Next time, rely on your own strength and not of one that causes harm to those dear to you. To bring back Sasuke, to protect your precious people, do this with your power and not of the Kyuubi" Yamato calmly stated. Things seemed to brighten up for the boy. His goals were put back on display but the task of being open with his secret was still there. He knows he can't put it off, but is now really the best time?

Slowly he walked towards the two girls… I guess it is. "Ano… Hinata, Sakura" he started. 'Ok I started it, what now?' it seemed that the boy hadn't thought it through, but he had a knack for improvising. "Your arm… ano does it hurt? I mean, ano… Gomen" there it was done.

She slowly rose, trying to meet dim orbs of blue with cloudy pearls of lavender. "I-i don't know w-what happened, but you are you, a-and I don't care a-about anything else as l-long as you stay the same.

"Demo… I'm a Jinchuuriki, a human sacrifice, and the jailor of the Kyubi that attacked the village sixteen years ago. This is why the entire village hates me. How could you be so accepting?" he wondered solemnly.

Sakura walked up and put a hand on his shoulder, "Naruto, even though you can be the worst baka I ever met, you'll always be Naruto, not a demon…" she paused when the other teen spoke up.

"E-even if all of Konoha thinks you're a demon… then they're all too ignorant to see the real you" she said, slightly stuttering. That was all the boy could take. Tears were already building in the corners of his eyes, and it was only a matter of time till he'd give in, which was exactly what he did, in the form of an embrace. Sobs were all he could muster to fight back as tears rolled down his cheek but still let out a smile of joy and relief

She was startled at the sudden contact at first, but her comforting side soon took over, soothing the teary-eyed boy. Sakura could only smile watching the heart-felt moment of Naruto getting support from Hinata. But in the boy's view, it had all happen so suddenly that he didn't notice exactly what he was doing. It wasn't long until he jumped out of the embrace, to the secret disappointment of both. He took a second glance at the two girls looking at him and flashed his trademark grin, "Hinata, Sakura… thanks" the blonde said happily.

* * *

_Currently_

He watched her, standing still, not moving a single muscle. 'She found him' the blonde thought. Naruto rushed into the crumbled room and saw the teen with his own eyes. "Sasuke…" the Genin whispered.

"You too Naruto? And a Hyuga as well… is Kakashi here too?" he asked showing no emotion.

As if on cue, Yamato stepped into view, "He couldn't make it but I'm here in his place. Sai is the fill-in for the team and Hinata-san is here for the mission. Uchiha Sasuke, were are here to bring you back to Konoha" the Jounin explained.

"I can't do that. I severed all ties with Konoha and Team Seven the moment I decided to leave" he replied.

This raised serious questions with the blonde. What was he doing here then? Was it all a waste? Will Sasuke ever want to come back? But the most striking was, "Then why didn't you kill me… why didn't you strike me down when you had the chance?" he asked in a stern voice, meeting Sasuke's cold eyes with his confident ones.

He stood atop a crumbling wall, peering down on them, contemplating what exactly to say, "Out of whim. It was out of whim that I spared you…" in a flash he was in front of Naruto, blade being drawn out, "and out of whim I can kill you" he ended.

At the sight of the ex-Konoha nin ready to strike her ally, Hinata quickly jumped in to parry the blow, but it was Sai that saved Naruto. But both males weren't standing long. Sasuke observed the position of the two and gave a smirk, "Chidori Nagashi" he said, instantly frying the two and knocking them unconscious, if only for a moment.

By the time his eyes were again open, he could see the bodies of his comrades on the floor. Sai was still unconscious, Sakura was holding onto a wounded arm also knocked out, Hinata lying in the verge of unconsciousness against a rock, and Yamato had Sasuke's Blade of Kusanagi stabbed through his shoulder now slowly paralyzing his body. It took all of his will to suppress the Kyuubi's influence, screaming at him to kill the traitor. The sounds of his hands pushing small pieces of rock alerted the Snake Sannin's apprentice.

"Still awake Naruto? Maybe you aren't as weak as I thought you were?" the Oto nin sarcastically assumed while he watched the struggling form get up.

From the side of the action, a wounded Hyuga began to regain conscious, "Naruto…kun" she whispered.

After fighting his mind and body, he was finally standing on his two feet. But still the Kyuubi insisted, **"Use me Kit. Kill him!"** the fox shouted.

Naruto gripped his head, trying to rid himself of such thoughts, "What's wrong Naruto? Afraid to fight?" the dark-haired teen asked, not aware of Naruto's internal struggle. It was then that Hinata rushed to his aid, spring to her feet and only a few more steps to reach him. 'The Kyuubi!' it was then he figured out that he may be attempting to summon his powers. He had to stop that at all cost, he was yet to be strong enough to defeat it.

A long and liightning charged blade shot forward, aiming for the boy. Two azure eyes watched the thin katana approach him, still not able to move, in fear of letting any of the Kyuubi's chakra out. Five feet, four feet, three feet… then it stopped. A blur came into view, blocking his sight of the sword. His gaze rose to meet two sad lavender-eyes, a metal edge poking right through her abdomen. It took him a few seconds for all the information to register in his brain. Hinata had jumped in front of the blade and took the fatal strike to save him.

"H-Hinata?" he whispered looking straight into her cloudy views. He's alive and she's about to die, that wasn't how it was supposed to happen. 'She saved me? Why is she smiling at me?' he thought as his eyes flooded with salty tears. "Wha… why… Hinata?" he asked a little louder for her to hear.

Still her small, partially wincing, smile did not falter. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. Her ears were failing, barely catching the distorted words coming from the blonde. Even her throat was dry, how can she tell him now? Slowly she leaned forward as the blade exited her body, causing her to fall a bit until she was caught in the arms of Naruto. Only inches away, she moved her head closer and closed her eyes. Two pairs of lips touched, only briefly, until she backed her head away for him to see her mouth the words 'that's why'.

Watching her eyes begin to flutter, he buried his sobbing face into her chest. "Hinata… you didn't have to. You shouldn't…" he began to murmur under his muffled voice.

"Hmph, pathetic. In the end, she was only useful as a meat shield. Look around you Naruto, you're all alone… just like I was," he said without hate, joy, sadness, or any other emotion.

Any control, or even signs of attempting to control its power were out the window. His fingernails began to grow into claws; his eyes made into slits, the thin whisker marks on his cheeks began to thicken. The Kyuubi was taking over again and he couldn't care less. As long as he beat Sasuke into a pulp, into such a state that he was barely alive, then he'd be satisfied.

But his feral changes didn't go unnoticed to the Konoha traitor, for he instantly lunged at the boy, looking for another hit. Naruto's enhanced awareness and reflexes allowed him to narrowly avoid the hit while he leaped onto the rim of the wall. Those few precious seconds that it took him to get on that wall were enough to get a first tail out. Sasuke was now too late to suppress the Kyuubi.

"Sasuke…" the blue-eyed Genin growled menacingly. Even more, his claws grew to a impressive and dangerous five inches. In response, the dark-haired boy pointed his blade in the direction of his opponent.

Three seconds of the calm before the storm seemed like hours of intense pressure. Naruto's rage was only building as a second tail began to grow, and to Sasuke, that was his cue to strike. Not even a millisecond later, the blonde was flying down towards him, Claws versus blade… then both strike.

Yamato, now getting some of his senses back, slowly opened his eyes. The first image worries him, seeing Sakura sprawled against the wall, the next shocked him even more, looking at what seemed to be the dead or dying body of Hinata, and the last was equally as shocking and frightful but in a different way. Two teens stood next to each other, their foreheads leaned against each other's shoulder and out of their backs were a long blade and four sharp claws that both seemed to pierce directly through their heart. The only sounds heard were the dangling of a green necklace tapping against the hard blade of the Kusanagi, and drops of blood splashing on the floor.

"Guess you'll never become Hokage" the typically stoic nin whispered.

"And you'll never get the chance to kill Itachi…" the Leaf shinobi added before coughing up a bit of blood.

"… sorry… Naruto" the sound of the handle of a blade being let go soon followed.

"… yeah… me too…" then darkness fell on the two brothers.

* * *

**OK so how do you like it? It's COMPLETELY different now huh!? The Next chapter will be ALSO completely new, But it will only be new if it says- THE DATE: COMPLETELY NEW, if not, it'll just be the older version.  
**

**For All those who are just reading it now PLEASE REVIEW, Because I NEED to know how you guys like this.**


	2. Oniouja

**K well here is the final beta-edited version of chapter 2. (as you can see it has a new title, previously called questionable sacrifice.**

**Well this chapter holds a treasure troll of information with the story thus it is CRUCIAL for EVERYONE to read this. If you don't you will have a tough time understanding the rest of the plot.**

**(a/n oniouja- demon king; Urusai- shut up)**

* * *

'What's this feeling, a burning sensation? No… maybe a tickling feeling… nope. It's more like it… it itches… Yeah my faces really itches' thought the blonde, as he existed motionless. He was still unaware if he even had a body to be in any position considering he's dead. Then again, why did his face itch?

"Ugh… wait… I can… feel?" said the blue-eyed male. Slowly his eyes opened revealing darkness. He wasn't sure if he'd even opened his eyes, but he could feel his eyelids open and close.

Next to move was his head, and with it some light. After motioning his limbs away from the trunk of his body, more light entered his view, but not much of it. To his immediate sight was first, black dirt. No, it wasn't soil, but hard dirt as dark as coal. Slowly pulling himself up, he took a glimpse of what seemed to be gray-colored grass. Tall strands of gray shot up from the ebony floor. For a moment he felt as if he'd become color blind. That would make sense to why the ground and the grass lacked any hue, but was soon proved wrong when his gaze fell upon the blood red sky. Two words escaped his lips at the sight, "Not… good," the young Uzumaki whispered.

Quickly jumping to his feet, he searched his surroundings. On all sides were gray stalks of grass, and red hued skies. It was then that he remembered the last pieces of memories he had before the boy fell into the deep slumber of death. "I'm… dead…" and it was true. He was in fact dead, but even in the after life, his thought fell upon those who were precious to him.

"Sasuke… Sakura… Yamato-sensei… and even you… Hinata… gomen. Gomen nasai for not being strong enough to protect you all. Thanks to me you're all probably d-dead too" he said solemnly, choking at the sounds of the word 'dead'. He knew very well that he is dead, but also had an odd sense that where ever he was, it wasn't the same place his friends was. "Of course… I'm a murderer and a demon. I am no fit to have a seat up there," tears began to stream down his cheek knowing that he'd never see his friends again. For a long time he'd kept himself from crying, only allowing himself tears of joy. It may have been a decade since he'd cry for such selfish reasons, then again, could one blame him?

For what seemed to be like hours, Naruto wondered aimlessly across the vast stretch of land, thinking about each of his friends and how he'd let them down. Bits and pieces of memories flashed in front of him helping him recollect his times with each person. A drop fell from his cheek for each precious person he'd indeed lost. He hadn't realized how much precious people he truly had until it was too late, but he wasn't done. There was one last person to pop in his vision.

"Hinata…" he mouthed, not even audible enough to hear as a whisper. From the first day of the academy to the time they became friends during the Chunin Exams till the last moments he spent with her before the early death of his precious person, all came flooding back into a long slideshow of visions and dreams.

"You were there weren't you Hinata. Why were you there for me? Why were you looking out for me when I hadn't even acknowledged your presence? Six years you've looked out for me before I even returned even the littlest favor. Ten years you've known and accepted me. Half a second, it took you to accept who I bare and what I really am. Why? What have I done to deserve such a gift?" he kept asking himself as he began to sob, not even showing the slightest of restraint knowing no one was there to comfort him anyways. Suddenly, something caused his sob to halt

A soft whisper hung in the air, "You've inspired me… you gave me something to admire" the wind spoke.

Naruto instantly snapped his clouded red eyes open, scanning his surroundings in hope to find a living person in sight. "Hinata?" he exhaled. As the name escaped his lips, the rest of his body froze in what he saw. It was as if he was yanked back into the past, in which he held a dying Hyuga in his hands. He looked on as a spectator in the eyes of his former self. Those few seconds lasted longer to him, as he replayed the thoughts over and over again.

One shaking hand calmed enough to slightly rise up towards his face. Two fingers brushed up against his lips in the remembrance of her actions. 'She died protecting me… she gave her life because she cared… she took my safety beyond her own because she cared' the blonde teen chanted in his head before finally speaking, "You did care didn't you? You… you cared… no, you care more than anyone else I know… and yet I was so blind to see it. Did you l-like me… no I don't need to know that. You cared about me that much, a-and that's all I really counts" he said wiping the remaining tears in his eyes.

He took a few steps before turning his head around to the spot where he had his vision of the lavender-eyed heiress. "Onegai Hinata-chan. Forgive me… a-and if there is any thing I can do, anything at all to ease this pain, ease your pain, I'll do it all" Naruto spoke with determination for the first time so far, tightening his fist the whole time, "and… this time… for Hinata… I'll do it all for you. Because I care too… I care for all of you…" the boy expressed vocally, taking off into a sprint towards the setting sun.

In true fact, he didn't really have a certain direction to run to, but going along to where there would be the most light seemed like a decent idea, all the while enhancing his senses. Though it was found unnecessary when a familiar presence let itself be known. The blonde was quick on his feet and jerked his body towards the parting gray shoots to see… red fur.

From just above the rim of the gray crops, nine red tails swished in the air. With eyes completely wide, Naruto watched the wolf-sized Kyuubi approach him. "W-what the hell?" he stuttered out of shock.

The age-old fox eyed the boy before grinning at his dumb-founded features, **"Not quite, more like limbo,"** said the bijou. And it was true. He was in a place somewhere between heaven and hell.

The teen stood there for a moment. He wasn't sure what to do, right in front of him stood the kyuubi and this time, there was no gate to keep him safe. "W-what the hell are you doing here then?" Naruto questioned, with a hint of fear.

The fox lord chuckled to himself watching the once bold young teen begin to cower before him. **"What's wrong gaki? Loose your nerve? Well if you haven't figured it out already, were dead. Pathetic weakling, you should have let me help you kill the whelp… now there's nothing left but to wait for… obliteration"** that last word held both anger and… fear. What could cause the almighty Kyuubi no Yoko to shake in his fur coat? That was exactly what the blonde wanted to know

"Obliteration? What do mean obliteration?" he really did want to know now. Somehow, the sound of obliteration just didn't sound too appealing. The earlier fear of the Kyuubi was quickly transferred back to his or rather their predicament.

The demon lord let out a soft chuckle, **"Haven't you wondered what will happen when we die? Surely you didn't think they'd send me back to hell, a place in where I have nearly limitless control. Kit my soul will face obliteration… my existence erased… as will yours," **he said with an evil smirk. Was he happy with his future? Hell no! But at least he would get to drag down the idiot that got him here.

'Nani? Why am I getting… obliterated?' the blonde shook himself back to reality, or as close as reality he could get and stared at the fox. "Nande?" yes why? Why him? He wasn't the ruler of the ninth level of hell so why should his soul die as well?

Left paw after right, slowly the red bundle of fur approached Naruto. Its smirk disappeared and was replaced by a scowl. **"Our souls are connected. Tied by that blasted seal" **he took another step towards the dead nin until he was merely a foot apart. **"Demons don't die… we are erased and since that seal bound us together… you share my fate… Kuso… that smell"** his eyebrows furrowed even more as the demon sniffed the air to confirm his thoughts.

Never in his life had Naruto ever felt more confused, afraid, angry, worried, and even more confused in his life. He was confused why the hell their souls were bound together, he was afraid that his soul would be destroyed, he was angry that the damn fur ball messed up his life, and he was even more confused at the troubled look on the Kyuubi's face. But instincts told him it had little to do with being obliterated. "The hell's up Kyuubi? Is it… starting?" he asked almost choking on his words.

The fox was silent. He was right, it was them. Damn how much he hated them. They were unnatural, went against the laws of chaos. Yes Hell had some order, though it wasn't much. Why else were the Bijuu created? Who were they to think that power should be handed to the undeserving few instead of the highly powerful Bijuus. **"Onioujas" **the true hell's king whispered.

"Oniouja? What the hell is a Oniouja?" being in limbo, facing the almighty fox, and facing obliteration, Naruto was able to let go of his fears for the Kyuubi, feeling that he was no threat, or at least no threat compared to Obliteration.

"Evil souls from earth. Scum that think they should rule the nine levels of hell instead of we Bijuus. They lure in other lower demons and drain their power to match ours. If anyone should face obliteration, it's them… ruining the order I created" his voice was drugged with poison. Who ever these guys were, they certainly had it in for the Kyuubi.

Oh… that definitely didn't sound good. "So these guys want you gone? Well they got it don't they? I mean we're here and you say we face 'Obliteration'… well I say bullshit. I don't know about you but I'm getting out of this place." He said with complete determination. Funny how you could go through so many soul-crushing emotions just to end up strong-willed.

'**Just how did this brat get so hopeful all of the sudden? He's stuck with me in one of death's worst situations and he stands there thinking of a way out? He's worse here then before' **the demon thought. Just as he began to open his mouth to shut his former jailor up, the sounds of leaves rustling caught his elongated ears.

"Now look what we have here," a hooded man said. He simple black a thick red line in the back and the Kanji for one embedded.

Seven others walked forward all with different numbers of red streaks correlating to the Kanji on their backs. Number eight walked forward then spoke to the two limbo wonderers, "So finally the almighty Kyuubi no Yoko get struck down. Oh how long have we waited for this moment." The hooded figure sneered.

It was then that the blonde jumped ahead to confront their visitors. "Look, I don't know who you are nor do I give a damn. You want him dead right? Well your gonna get it so get me the hell out of here!" he said glaring at all directions, trying but failing to intimidate all eight members.

Number three began chuckling at the nuisance. "We're not here just to kill the fox… we're here to take its power," the man bellowed. He soon added, "And you are connected to him. Now we can't have you getting away now can we?" at this all eight members jumped to surround the two victims.

The demon lord began attempting to summon fire while the blonde raised his hands to a familiar ox seal. To their disappointment, both attempts failed. **"Damn this accursed place. We're its target so we're powerless here"** the Kyuubi growled. Underneath them, the ground began to rise, surrounding the two as it picked them up and trapped them similar to Gaara's Sabaku Kyuu.

"You can't do anything here. Powerless are the victims of Limbo" cried number seven. To the teen's vision, it seemed like all eight were doing a series of hand seals in perfect synchrony. "First we break the seal, that will probably kill you, then the demon lord kitsune is up for soul suction," the hooded figure added. All eight felt victorious. How could things possibly go wrong?

Ironically Naruto thought the opposite, 'How can things get any worse?' then a surge of pain shot throughout his body. It felt like a Chidori was running its electricity through his abdomen. 'Crap is this it? Is it… gonna end like this… no… kuso! No way in hell am I gonna die!' he thought trying to fight back the pain. It was oblivious to only him that his necklace began to emit a bright emerald light.

First his upper body, then the entire space occupying him and the Kyuubi, and soon everything went white. "Kuso… is this obliteration…?" he whispered as the boy fell into a blissful state of unconsciousness.

* * *

To the left… white, to the right… more white. Up, down, forward and back, all around was just white. "Gah this is worse then a fucking hospital!" the irritated teen shouted. Unknown to him, a red-furred demon animal appeared next to him

"**Urusai gaki"** the even more annoyed fox grumbled.

Naruto shook at the sudden voice. "Nani…? Kyuubi! You're here too? Where the hell are we?" questioned the boy. Then a shocking thought occurred, "Have we been… obliterated?" he asked, more to himself then the fox.

Then a new voice shook him worse then the demon, **"No young Naruto. You are safe in this realm,"**said the ominous speaker. As powerful as it sounded, it didn't feel threatening at the least. It was more comforting then anything else.

"Ne… who's this? Kyuubi, do you know what's going on?" The teen turned his head towards the red-furred beast, a bit baffled to why it seemed so drawn back.

At a closer observation, one could see that the fox was actually shivering. It wasn't too cold where they… floated, seeing that there wasn't really a floor, but never the less he shook due to what could only be assumed as… fright. **"K-kami-sama…"** he spoke with a shaky voice.

Great, more complications for the boy. This really wasn't his day in which within a day, or what seemed like a day, he watched his best friend hurt his captain, his former crush, his newest and possibly most precious person, the kill both of them. Then following that he threatened with obliteration then nearly killed of again by eight Oniouja, who ever they are, and now he faced God him self. "Nani!? Y-you're Kami?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

From all angles, the calming voice spoke, **"Yes, some call me that. I also refer to several other names,"** the sound echoed, though it really didn't have anything to echo back from. But being here for a short amount of time, Naruto could tell physics didn't really apply here.

The blonde stuffed a hand under his chin and continued, "So… why are we here Kami-sama" he asked, ignorant of any examples of formal respect.

Even without a physical body, the entity seemed to smile at his casualness. **"I brought both of you here because I have a favor to ask both of you."** This got the Kyuubi out of his frozen state remembering that he too was in the room, for lack of better words. **"But first, step forward Nikawa"**

"Nikawa? Who's Nika-… Kyuubi?" He didn't realize that Kyuubi had a name this whole time. Sure why didn't he have a name? The Ichibi, Shukaku was his name, so why hadn't he ever thought Kyuubi was his name?

"**Hai Kami-sama"** the fox said shakily. Step by step, he inched closer until a shady figure began to form.

"**Why is it that you are so hesitant?"** the ominous voice inquired.

The demon's head continued to hang low in shame. **"I've failed. I let my purpose corrupt me, I've sinned a thousand soul's sins, and I've become… a demon,"** he said solemnly. For the first time in ages, he had at least shown some of his regret

None of this made sense to the young blonde. What did he mean he's become a demon? He was the Kyuubi! Of course he's a demon! But that just show's how ignorant the Naruto truly was, **"You have let your self be tainted by hell. It would be a difficult task to let stay pure while controlling such places, thus I gave you the power to roam freely between realms… you abused that power… but you can redeem you self,"**this brought hope to the fox.

"**I can… be forgiven?"** with that said, he was soon enveloped in a soft golden light. The shady figure in front of the thought-to-be-demon was its source. The light soon faded and Nikawa was still standing on all fours… but something seemed different. His eyes lost the dark lining that made him look more feral, and the pupil softened into a more stable brown rather then crimson red. Other than his fur seeming to look less wild, he was still the same fox in appearance.

"Whoa! Kyu-… er I mean Nikawa… what happened?" he asked. Oh how he longed for answers. It seemed like every time he'd get enough information to formulate an answer, five hundred more questions erupted. It possibly impossible to know everything, he supposed.

Being Kami, he knew how the young teen felt having little answers, **"He has been cleansed"** the voice stated. His eyebrows alone can tell you that more explanation was needed. **"Bijuus, like Nikawa here, are of my creation, and are made of my own chakra. Somewhere after his creation, he let himself become tainted with evil. It soon manifested itself into the demonic chakra you know now. I have reestablished his chakra and purified it,"** he said, making his miraculous act seem so simple and easy. If it weren't Kami, it would be completely unimaginable to do so.

"**It's gone… the bloodlust, the anger, the pain… it's all gone"** Nikawa said amazed. And he truly was, he'd been cleansed of all his demonic energy, he'd been restored to his original being. The almighty Kyuubi bowed at the shady figure, **"Arigato Kami-sama"** he said in a soft and polite voice, very new to the awestruck blonde.

Naruto looked at the new Kyuubi then back towards the fading shadow then spoke, "Wow… ok so you cleaned up Kyu-… Nikawa right? So what do you want us to do? Do I get something of it too?" the teen asked pretty bluntly, receiving a noticeable growl of disapproval from the Kyuubi and a soft chuckle from Kami himself.

"**Yes Naruto. But before that, can you tell me what you know of that necklace you are wearing?"**Now there was the possibility of telling him straight away about the predicament and what the favor was, but Kami saw this as a learning experience and knew this was the best way to instill information on the boy.

Naruto glanced at his necklace, picking it up carefully to admire its shine. "I got this from Obaa-chan. Said she got it from Shodai Hokage. Yamato-taicho also said he could use it to help suppress the Kyuubi's chakra" the teen said in a matter-of-fact tone, while a single finger wafted through the air.

"**Good. Now let me tell you more about it. That necklace was indeed originally from your Shodai Hokage, but it also has the powers to suppress and control bijuus of all tails. It was a time where all nine ran rampant, thus I gave that to him for a general purpose. But setting order to the bijuus wasn't exactly that. When I gave it to him, it was soon after his battle with Uchiha Madara. After his 'death' I soon learned that the Onioujas were planning a coup de tat in hell. The Oniouja of the ninth level manifested himself upon Madara and planned to take control of the rest of the bijuus. And he continues to do so in the time you just left."** he said with the typical godly voice.

All this came to a shock to him, especially that last part about Madara. "Nani!? Wait if Madara was the guy who fought the Shodai for the ruler ship of Konoha and you said he was still alive before I died… then he must be really old!" Naruto blurted out.

If Nikawa had a legitimate hand, he would be rubbing the bridge of his nose at the blonde's stupidity, **"Yes Kit, he's old. He's a demon so limitless age comes as a perk."** The former demon answered.

The young teen again crinkled his nose in confusion. "So if he's alive, where is he? I haven't heard of any Uchihas after Jinchuurikis like me… well except Itachi… and I guess Sasuke was after me… wait is Itachi Madara in disguise!?" The very thought baffled him. But he hadn't thought ahead to think that Sasuke knew Itachi since he was born so he'd know if Itachi was a four hundred or so year old demon incarnate.

The almighty being suppressed a chuckle, and yes, though he wasn't a human, he too has emotions, which includes laughter. **"No, Itachi is not Madara, but he did take on a disguise. Though you may not know of him personally, his group you should be aware of, especially since you are aware of Itachi"** the voice said.

"ne… AKATSUKI! Madara must be the leader of Akatsuki! Ok… so Madara was err is err whatever, he's alive somewhere. Does this have something to do with your favor?" He really was trying to get to the point.

"**Yes. I'll explain this quickly. You've just encountered eight members of the Onioujas. The ninth is not within Madara. He betrayed the others and found a way to manifest himself onto the dying Uchiha. Now he seeks the power of all nine bijuus and does so with Akatsuki. The other eight members in the other hand just want them gone. But they are still holding a grudge against the ninth. This is why they seek you out. Only the guardian of the deepest hell can defeat one sent there. The Onioujas want your power to kill the ninth"**after his speech there was a moderately long pause. It would take awhile for both the Kyuubi, but mostly Naruto, to truly grasp the situation at hand.

Surprisingly, he managed to completely understand. "Ok got it. But that sounds kinda dumb if you ask me," the blonde said. If Kami manifested himself to have eyebrows, one would be raised with curiosity. "I mean, the ninth is pretty much doing the work for the rest of the Oni-whatever but their so pissed off that they want to complicate things by trying to get my err I mean Kyuubi's power just out of revenge? That's pretty petty if you ask me," he huffed as two arms crossed over his chest.

No matter what the situation was, Naruto was always able to surprise the Kyuubi. **"Heh, well demons get pretty at times. It comes along with several other unwanted traits."** He said half smirking.

"**Well I'm glad you see it this way. Now you said you wanted a way to fix things correct? How about I give you that chance, to send you back to your world?"** You didn't need to be Kami to know the outcome of this question. Shoot, even Tsunade can bet all she's got in guessing his answer and come out winning.

"Hell Yeah… demo… I'm dead. Won't it be kinda weird if I came back dead?" Naruto being Konoha's… no the entire world's most unpredictable knuckleheaded ninja, could be so odd by being smart at times, then dropping his IQ to barely under Kiba.

Suddenly, a whole began to form from above, or what one would call it as above, and an image fizzed into view. **"Not if I send you back before you died. This favor fulfills both our wants. You get to go back and fix whatever it is you needed, but in return you must also find a way to stop the slaughter of the Bijuus. Currently there are four, including yourself, which have kept themselves from being slaughtered. Those would be the Ichibi, the Nibi, the Hachibi, and the Kyuubi, one, two, eight and nine. Gather them when the time comes and defeat the Onioujas. It is to my knowledge that they are formulating a way to manifest themselves in the way the ninth did with Madara. This path will also lead you to battle with Akatsuki, but I presume that you were going to be in battle with them anyways. So Uzumaki Naruto, do you accept?"** And surely his answer was expressed by a wide grin and a fist thrown high in the air followed by a loud 'YOSH!', one that would make both Gai and Lee proud.

Finally after he calmed down, to the great relief of his soul attached accomplice, he went back to his slightly serious mode, "Well I'll do it… but how is it all gonna work? I mean are they gonna be chasing me around everyday now? Do I get to pick what time I get to go back to? Will I keep my memories? And what about my power, will I get to keep those too? I'm still stuck with fur ball huh?" that last remark got a low growl from the enlightened kitsune.

"**To answer them in order, No, the Oniouja are still figuring out how to project themselves to your realm, but during you encounter with the four, they managed to get some information to actually give them the possibility to do so. Even with this knowledge it will take time for them to cross dimensions then find an applicable host. Next, the answer is no. I have found the most efficient time, and I am sure you will have little arguments. Also I am only sending you soul back in time, so you keep you memories but the physical body, which includes your chakra, will remain the way it was in that time. Finally, yes, Nikawa will be there with you, but he will be much more of helpful than before. Now there is one final thing I must do before I send you off,"**the emerald around his neck began to emit a bright golden light. After it died down, its golden color remained.

Naruto took the jewel in his hand and stared at it. It looks like a golden crystal rather than gold itself. **"I have altered the contents of your necklace. Use it to access Nikawa's chakra. You also need it to purify the three other bijuus when the time comes. You cannot do this alone so make sure to seek their help," **the ominous voice warned.

"Ok got it. I'll make sure to defeat the Akatsuki and the Onioujas. I swear over my Nindo that I will or my name isn't Uzumaki Naruto, Future Hokage, and savior of the world!" he said with so much pride. Indeed he would be the savior of the world… in a way at least. The world may not be threatened as of yet, but who knew what would happen if Akatsuki got the power of the other eight bijuus, then what would happen if the Onioujas took over hell? Well what ever those crappy ending might deal he didn't want to know.

After giving a thumbs up to the fading figure, Naruto turned his head towards the Kyuubi, "So Nikawa, you ready?" he asked. Either way he'd go, but Kami told him he'll need the fox, and it's not like he's a bad guy now.

"**Time's a wasting Kit, and If I remember correctly, there's some girl named Hinata you need to woo"** the nine-tailed kitsune half chuckled.

The blonde's eyes went wide for a moment. "That's right! I get to see Hinata-chan again. And Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme and Iruka-sensei and Tsunade-baa-chan and everyone. C'mon fur ball you're wasting time!" the boy was filled to the brim with excitement. He'd actually get a second chance at life… this time he was sure not to mess it up.

And just like that, he and his new cooperating tenant jumped through the portal above, awaiting their new and most difficult journey.

* * *

**Soo? how didja like that? For those who have already read the story, how'd you like the change? adds on to the originality, plus gives meaning to why the heck he went back in time. But DON'T Worry, i'm making sure things won't get complicated, or too overwhelming. That was my biggest fear into introducing this plot but i won't make the Oniouji thing too big of a deal right now, it'll get major later in the series, possibly in the next arc.**

**Remember... REVIEW!!**


	3. Here Again

**July 18 2009. MASSIVE CHANGES!!!**

**Sept. 07 2008. RECENTLY CHANGED FOR RECONSTRUCTION.**

(Changes- The Uchiha massacre OCCURED!! Hinata is only starting to form a crush, but didn't get it automatically)

**Alright i have this chapter revised and edited. Please keep up the reviews im feeling bold and making my goal 20 reviews. im posting chapter four the next day so that makes 20 revs more reasonable, its really what inspires me to keep writing. Oh and thanx Azchen for that constructive critcism. and i dont plan on using OCs they're annoying. I like vampires but not for for this.**

**Just changed a few things (fugaku isn't captain of the police force so i changed it) thank Shinen no Hikari for the memo**

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto.**

* * *

One bright and shiny day in Konoha, a certain short blond kid decided to sleep in... then again it wasn't really a choice considering his decade-worth of travel. But oh ho, was he aware of it. The digital clock read Seven o'clock, then with a loud buzz, the boy instantly awoke... not really the most pleasant way to start a day.

Well nevertheless, he did wake up. Groggy voice and all, he mercilessly smashed his fist on the buzzing annoyance and threw the sheets to the side. Two legs flopped out of bed as he carefully slid off his penguin nightcap. 'Talk about a nightmare... wait since when did my old nightcap fit me?' if he had more energy he may have elaborated on that more, but he was still in his half-asleep mode so he'd set that thought aside for now.

Finally he reached the bathroom. Slowly he stood in front of the sink, which was oddly higher then he remembered, but then again, he was still in sleepy-mode. It wasn't until he got a good look in the mirror that everything sunk in, shocking him out of his lazy attitude.

"…NANI!?" he screamed, nearly waking up the entire neighborhood.

'That wasn't a dream… I really am back in my younger body' He stared hard into the mirror with wide eyes, 'I'm short again,' the boy frowned.

'**Nothing gets past you Kit' **The Kyuubi's demonic voice startled Naruto.

'Eh? Kyuubi? I can talk to you here too?'

'**That's what it seems. Perhaps it's due to our unchanged condition. In essence, your still the sixteen year old Naruto with sixteen years worth of integration with our seal'** the dark lord explained.

"Shoot! What day is it? What day is it? What day is it?" he rhythmically chanted. Stark blue eyes fell on a low hanging calendar. In one of the cells circled in red followed by several red cross-marks wrote 'first day'. It was obvious what the occasion was/is. Just as he readied himself to scream in celebration he remembered the time "Kuso! No time to celebrate. I gotta get ready now!" In a blind furry he rushed in and out of the shower with a towel on his waist, not even bothering to dry his hair. He stood and opened his closet looking for something to wear"

'**I hope a new wardrobe change is in order?'** It stated.

'C'mon? My stuff isn't that bad! Here's something…' He found an old Tee he wore occasionally. It was a simple white t-shirt with an orange spiral on the back and wore beige cargo shorts. A pair of standard Shinobi sandals adorned his feet while a simple amber-like golden crystal necklace he found on the floor near his bed. The necklace lost its emerald shine in replacement of a shinier gold hue.

He was ready to jump out his window when he remembered his body isn't trained to jump from roof to roof yet. He sadly walked down the stairs and ran towards the academy.

* * *

He made his way to the gate ignoring the glaring eyes that seemed to have dulled during his first sixteen years of living. Walking through the gate, he noticed a girl with short dark-blue hair around the same age as him. She wore a fluffy beige jacket lined with fur on the hood, dark blue caprice and, like him, standard shinobi sandals.

'Hinata... I promise I'll make things better this time around' he said in his head while approaching her. He quickly stopped when the boy realized he had absolutely nothing to say. What could there be said? Nothing short of "Hi I'm Naruto and I'm from the future," entered his head. But just then she was bumped from the side by a rushing student and fell to the floor dropping a couple books on the way. The blond rushed over to help his old friend.

"Here let me help you" he picked up some books while the little girl sat there in somewhat shock that some stranger, a rather cute stranger mind you, was treating her so kindly. "Ne… you ok?" he took her hand and lifted the girl up.

"Ar-arigato…" She stood there looking at her pants, dusting off what ever imaginary thing that seemed to cling to it while making sure to NOT make eye contact.

'hehe… same old Hinata'

"No prob, oh I'm Naruto by the way, Uzumaki Naruto" he put one hand behind his head and another was extended for a handshake. He gave one of his trademark foxy grins.

She hesitantly took his hand and shook it, "I-I'm Hinata, H-Hyuuga Hinata" She quickly put her hands back to her sides and bowed to the blond.

"Oh here's your stuff" he handed the books back to the lavender-eyed girl.

"A-Arigato Naruto-ku…" she was interrupted by a hand grabbing her wrist pulling her towards the academy.

"C'mon were gonna be late" he spoke very hastily as he ran towards the door and down the hall now holding on to Hinata's hand.

'He-he's holding my hand… It's very… comforting… why do I feel so woozy?' she thought to herself, while her face began to grow a tint of pink.

They got to class just in time and took their seats. The last available seats were next to each other on the second row. She took her seat first as the blonde scanned the room for familiar faces. He was able to recognize the entire rookie nine including Sasuke, Sakura all the way to Ino and Choji. He found his seat next to Hinata and readied to sit down.

"It's ok if I sit here right?" He gave another foxy grin

"O-of course, onegai, s-sit down" she was blushing again and slightly turned away so he would have to see her blush.

'heh… she's so cute when she blushes' the blond boy gazed at the girl from the corner of his eyes catching glances every now and then.

'Is…is he staring at me? No, that can't be… but what if he is… no he's probably staring off at the clock… but still' Her heart began to flutter and her blush began to grow at the thought of a nice ,and to what she thought as cute, guy looking at her.

The first half of class was over and the lunch bell rung. Naruto quickly noticed the assembled fan girls trailing the 'genius' Uchiha. He specifically noticed a certain pink haired girl shoving a blond haired girl out of the way to get closer to the Uchiha.

His face faulted slightly as he reminisced his past, 'My childhood… spent on her. But I'm smart now and I know better. I think I'll be better off' He gazed at Hinata as she shuffled around looking for her paper-bag lunch.

'No-no, I can't believe I lost my lunch… and on the first day. I'm so hungry though' She looked saddened as she stopped her desperate search for her lunch.

Naruto was keen to figure out what was going on. And the loud grumble coming from her stomach causing her to blush from embarrassment was in deed a helpful clue. "Ne… Hinata, If you don't have your lunch with you I could take you out to Ichiraku for ramen" he itched his face as he made his proposal for lunch.

'Did he just ask me out to lunch? He did didn't he?" she wasn't sure if she heard him correctly.

"H-hai… A-arigato Naruto-kun" she blushed and bowed partially so she could hide her tomato face.

"Heh no problem. Let's go Hinata-chan" He began walking past her and turned around to extend his hand. 'I wonder if this counts as a date? Haha my first day and I already have a date' he grinned inwardly.

'He keeps endearing me so and now he wants me to take his hand again… I can't or he'll see me blush… but I have to. Just stay calm Hinata' She continued to telling herself to control her blush as she took his hand leading the two outside of the classroom.

* * *

The young couple were making their way towards Ichiraku when he noticed the lavender-eyed girl walking behind him. "Hinata-chan? Why are you walking back there" the girl never looked up but instead kept her eyes on the ground and poked her two index fingers together. He slowed his pace to match with Hinata as he lowered his head so he could see her face.

"You know Hinata-chan, it could be dangerous if you keep walking like that. I mean what if you bump into some big scary guy... or a wall?" he rubbed his finger under his nose while smiling innocently.

The lavender-eyed girl saw his face and immediately blushed. In reaction, she stood straight up as her eyes fixated directly ahead, "Go-gomen Naruto-kun". The blond felt much more satisfied walking along side his new friend. It was during this walk that she noticed some people glaring at the boy. She didn't understand why he seemed to be dis-liked by the adults. He knew those eyes were there but almost forgot that he wasn't alone. Realizing Hinata's worry, he took her by the hand and ran towards Ichiraku just down the street. Both seemed to be relieved by the time they got to the ramen stand as took a seat on the high chairs.

Behind the counter stood a rather attractive apprentice working the counter. "Hey Ayame-nee-chan, Where's the old man?" The blond boy asked.

"He's out running errands. He'll be back soon" the teen girl replied. "You know I could make ramen for you and your girlfriend" she smiled at the two kids both blushing heavily.

"Alright well I'll have five bowls of the miso pork," the blonde boy ordered with a wide smile.

"O-one bowl of the s-same please," she was still blushing from the last comment.

"Oh so you guys are a couple. She's cute Naruto" She was smiling even bigger now causing Naruto to turn red all over and Hinata to start wobbling ready to faint.

"Ehh… oh ano… we just met. You see she lost her lunch and I wanted to take her out to lunch," he laughed nervously hoping he was slick enough to get out of the awkward position Ayame was putting him in.

"Oh so is this a date? I mean you did 'want' to ask her here right" She was ready to laugh herself to death watching the two almost erupt in embarrassment. Hinata had fought very hard not to faint and felt she was losing.

"Jeez Ayame nee-chan will you cut it out. Just bring our orders already" He tried to be serious but was too embarrassed to sound assertive.

"Alright Naruto, I'm on it… oh looks like we only have one pair of chopsticks left. Looks like your just gonna have to share it" She grinned as she handed it to the red-faced girl. Hinata looked at the chopstick then looked at the flushed Naruto then rolled her eyes back. All of the sudden a blur thudded to the floor holding a pair of chopsticks.

"Oi! Hinata-chan! Wake-up. Agh... Nee-chan!" He glared at the lady behind the counter who was still grinning.

Moments later she finally woke-up. Naruto decided to buy some snacks instead and headed off towards the academy hoping they weren't going to be late. The two barely made it back to class in time and headed to their seats. Naruto took out a bag of Konoha BBQ chips and gave it too the lavender-eyed girl apologizing. "Gomen Hinata-chan. I didn't think Ayame nee-chan would tease us like that" he grinned and a hint of blush came to his face as he remembered what the apprentice had said.

"Oh, Ar-arigato Naruto-kun. I-it's no problem. Go-Gomen for wh-what happened b-back then" her stuttering was worse off than before as she took the bag of chips from him. Hinata opened it slightly and began eating a few chips while keeping her tender blush. Naruto just continued to make his foxy grin as he took his bag of chips and ate it along with the dark-haired girl.

* * *

The next few weeks school began its original schedule. The shinobi-hopefuls studied shinobi history as well as geography. Naruto was more mature now and didn't have the need to screw around or make pranks. But even as he focused something about actual non-shinobi type learning just wasn't his forte. He would literally curse written test. They were the bane of his existence. Even so Hinata admired him much closer now since they sat next to each other. Every day after school he'd walk with Hinata to the corner where they had to split ways.

But instead of turning home he would go out to the training area and work on his Taijutsu as well as training his body back into manageable state. With the training regimen he learned from Lee and Gai-sensei, he quickly began to develop his physique, at least as much physic a young boy could gain. Just enough and he'd be able to do basic shinobi stunts like quick take-offs, climbing tall walls and jumping great distances. Chakra control was also a big part of his regime. A childhood of being told you had horrible control turned out to be great motivation in improving said flaws.

Sooner that he wished, it was nearing the time of the Uchiha massacre. He decided to follow Sasuke home and see how things were. It turned out a lot of ANBU were around. Not surprising that so many Uchiha had become ANBU.

'Of course! Itachi has been an ANBU squad leader and his father is head of the clan and probably has a lot of influence in the police force. It could only be reasonable that there would be more Uchiha in the ANBU' He pondered this for a moment thinking of a plan to stop this. 'I have to figure this out... for Sasuke at least' he peered down from a tree branch he was hiding in to see a little Sasuke run up his front porch. He knew he needed help but also considered that it couldn't be ANBU since Itachi had too much access on ANBU situations.

But what could he really do? He was a six year-old up against the 'untouchable Uchiha' could anyone really stop him, let alone a first year academy student. All in all, he didn't stand a chance. He knew the massacre happened inside the compound... so what would happen if they weren't there. 'That's it! If there's no one at the compound,then no one can be there to get killed!' the boy felt so excited with the realization. All he needed now was a master prank that would get the crowd out of the compound.

It had to be simple yet efficient. Something that would get as much people away without giving Itachi a reason to reschedule. There was a little under two hundred people in the compound. If twenty or so escaped, he was sure no one would be the wiser. So how could he get a few people out of there? 'Stink bombs will get them out of their houses, but not out of the compound... food might work, but how could i ruin their food supply?' the blond thought carefully. He wandered around the perimeter of the compound constructing his master plan when his foot got caught on a metal pipe. With just one glance at the water pipe his plan was realized.

All he needed was a bag of mice and a distraction. 'Shutting off the water should do the trick and while people worry about that, I sneak into the main pantry and dump the mice,' the young boy said with a massive grin. But before all that he had to give the old man a heads up.

Using the little shinobi skills he was able to master, he slipped the note through one of the large open windows. The paper gently landed on the corner of his desk, teetering on the edge, ready to fall. 'Kami please let this work' he pleaded.

The Sandaime Hokage soon entered his office just moments after the note was placed. It looked so miniscule compared to the large stacks of paper on his desk but something just drew his attention to it. Perhaps he wanted an excuse to procrastinate more on the paper work. He even thought paperwork would be the death of him, but oh how wrong he was.

Quickly he ripped the thin flap and took out a plain sheet of writing paper. It seemed to be written recently but it's content startled the old man, "What's this!? Seems like someone might know of what's going on!" the old man whispered before rushing towards the window and shutting it. Just as fast as he did, the Hokage summoned several ANBU while he performed a silence jutsu on the perimeter.

* * *

A few days had passed and before he knew it, it was already the eve of one of Konoha's greatest tragedies. So far, everything was set up wonderfully. A well placed rasengan crushed the pipe and the slight confusion that followed allowed him to sneak off to the pantry, under a well placed henge of his classmate. Within a few minutes, he was in and out. From there it was a waiting game.

He spent the rest of the day wandering around the market street, looking hard for any signs of an Uchiha, but to his disappointment, there was none.

The absence of Sasuke the very next day was a clear sign of how his plans went. It wasn't till a week later did the whole news get back to him. According to what a few chuunins were talking about, there had been some kind of infestation. Because of it they had to close the gates and kill off whatever plague there was. From their tone, Naruto could tell they were a bit suspicious about the story. It seemed odd that an entire compound was put into isolation because of a few rats. But it was, and the blond knew it was him to blame this time.

"Kuso! Why didn't it work!?" he screamed to himself.

No doubt the Kyuubi felt a little bad about how things worked out. **"Don't beat yourself up so bad because of this. You're still an academy student kit. It's too much to ask you to stop a clan massacre all by yourself now is it? And it's not like the kid's already gone"**

Naruto felt a bit better hearing that. No doubt he like this Kyuubi better than the demonic one, the one who tried to convince him in several occasions to use his powers to kill. "Thanks Kyuubi. I really needed to hear that… and I still have the Chunin exams right? If I train my body hard enough, I just might be able to avoid the whole vampire neck biting deal" The blonde said with a glint of hope.

**'Don't you think it's a little too early to be thinking about the Chunin Exam? Just focus on the next six years, oh and that girl you came for. I want to be able to see some kittlings running around' He made a slightly cynical grin**

'Woah! That's way too far into the future. You should take your own advice and help me become a Genin fur ball!'

That night Naruto spent the time lying in bed awake thinking of everything he had to do, what to prevent, what he had to keep the same, how to stop a mass inter dimensional demonic war… you know the simple things a Kami-blessed Jinchuuriki would think about. Then again, would he even be able to do anything different? Dang, what he'd give to sleep in a lighter note.

* * *

**YATTA! thats done and over with. I'm currently working on chapter five and having difficulties onto which way i should pull the story. My mused suddenly split in two and are currently fighting over whether to stick to the Canon or go creative. I dont want to give away too much but it concerns Hinata. I know vague right but there's no way to say it without giving away the possible plot. Please give feed back. i have worked out the storylines for both roads and am glad either way.**


	4. Love Again

**JULY 19 2009. MAJOR REVISION**

((Made FATTY changes in alot of the dialogue. If you haven't noticed, i went back and took out a lot of the Japanese terms. I'll keep simple ones most people know like 'Hai' and 'Kuso' and 'Gomen' but others stuff i took out, except for certain line, but that's there for a purpose. Other wise i'm not one to insult a nation with horrible misuse.))

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto.**

* * *

Within three years of training he was able to regain some of his techniques. Kawarimi came to him rather easily compared to the first time. Normal bunshins were still trouble, but then again he never really needed them before. However, he did relearn his utmost favorite technique, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. With that back in his arsenal, training went much smoother.

Another great advantage he had now was his no-longer-evil tenant. His guidance proved helpful… well more than helpful. It was because of him that Naruto was able to pick up the Kyuubi's nature affinity, fire, though it took some training to make it happen. The process made the young blond wonder if he could artificially attain any affinity through training and sheer will. But that thought was cast aside when he fell into a harsh realization.

Sadly or rather infuriatingly, he discovered that the fox wielded fire differently than humans. Kyuubi's influence over his element mimicked Gaara's instead of harnessing it through hand-seal-guided jutsus. So as his new elemental affinity was realized, he found there were not any jutsus for him to learn… oh the irony. Then again, there's nothing wrong in having a second affinity down. It's actually a good thing. Using Kage Bunshins to train in two affinities within a couple years is actually quite an accomplishment… if only he knew a way to use it in battle.

In school he did… decent in his studies. In truth, he didn't really care for book learning. Does it matter if you know how to calculate the trajectory of a Kunai thrown at a thirty-degree angle with? Or to know both how to locate and define a subjunctive clause? And when has it ever been useful to know what the hell the Nidaime liked to eat for breakfast. So all in all, you could say he strongly disliked math, language arts, and history. But he made sure he wasn't dead last… I mean getting C's and sometimes C+'s in those subjects weren't horrible. But some of his awkward comments about certain studies kept him from ridding his most hated nickname… dobe.

Then they had started on Taijutsu, which Naruto was now excellent at. He didn't really need to go all out to beat his other classmates. His demon guided training did wonders so the lack of attention from most of his instructors were no spilled milk. His way, though a bit wild and unruly, was fine. He didn't understand the concept of finesse when the option of pummeling was given.

Hinata loved to watch her crush spar, trusting in his victory every time. Oh how the Uchiha prodigy would get extremely pissed when losing to him. Why couldn't he defeat the dobe? He was smarter per say, and he came from a noble background of powerful warriors. This classroom simpleton was an orphan with no strong lineage.

After losing to the blonde for the umpteenth time, the dark-haired boy was finally agitated enough to ask, "Dammit! Why do I keep losing to you? What makes you so much stronger than me?"

He just kept his glare on the blonde hoping he could squeeze out some information.

"Ne, I'm not to sure. I work really hard, train for hours, eat a balance diet of ramen…" He trailed off with a smirk and glanced at a certain lavender-eyed girl he knew was watching. The girl blushed and slightly turned her head but kept eye contact. Then a sound was heard from Sasuke's direction.

"So, I train too. Probably harder than you! What are you hiding?" his eyes gleamed with suspicion. In his logic, there had to be something that was helping him grow strong and whatever it was he needed it. It was essential that he becomes stronger.

"I'm not hiding anything teme! If anything you're the one who's being the most suspicious," he accused back. After calming down a bit he continued, "If you want to know the truth Sasuke, a long time ago a friend told me that if you have someone precious to protect, then you'll get real strength," the young blond spoke solemnly, reminiscing on his past.

The dark-haired kid eyed him for a second. 'Someone precious to protect?' he thought carefully. There wasn't anyone precious to him. Only his ambitions were important to him. He let himself wander away from the active children as he thought more on the subject.

* * *

After school most of the guys wanted to hang out. More kids respected Naruto now being that he was at the top of the class rivaling only Sasuke Uchiha. But this also meant there were more of those with jealousy in their eyes. That day Shikamaru and Choji invited him to hang out after school, but told them he had to take care of a few things. Like everyday he waited for Hinata at the gates to walk her home.

"Yo, Hinata-chan" he spoke up in the crowd of people

"H-hello Naruto-kun" Naruto grinned but sighed a bit seeing her stutter.

'It's been three years now and we've gotten close but she still seems to stutter' He walked up to the young Hyuuga smiling with a hand on the back of his head.

"Naruto-kun I saw you sparring with the r-rest of the boys in class. You were r-really good" She began to blush as he noticed he was starring straight at her while she complimented him.

"Really Hinata-chan? You really think I'm that good?" He looked at her face and gave another goofy grin

"H-Hai. I could only w-wish to be as good as you" She glanced at the blond checking if he was looking at her.

"I know! How about we could train together? If it's alright with you" He knew she would agree but felt a little nervous asking.

"Ha-Hai! I'd r-really l-loved that Naruto-kun" She was overjoyed that she hadn't noticed that she took one of his hands with both her hands and held it close to her.

He began to blush when he noticed his hand pressed firmly against her bosom. "G-great! I'll meet you at the training ground at five"

'Is he blushing? He's so adorable when he blushes, though I wonder why…' her hand quickly retracted the moment she took in the fact that his hand snuggled against her chest. Her face exploded in red as she tried to hide her face.

"Go-gomen, I-I'll see you a-at five N-Naruto-kun" she began to back away slowly looking down.

"Ha-ha yeah ok Hinata-Chan. I'll see you then, ja ne" he waved at her as he ran to his house for a quick bite before going off to the training ground.

The boy was soon at his house, changed and ready to go with water boiling in the kitchen. He set down his finished bowl of ramen just as the clock turned a quarter to five and with that, he was off towards the training grounds. His path was one of tall heights and rooftops since he learned how to make greater leaps.

He saw Hinata sitting on one of the wooden poles and grew excited to spend time with his future love. Naruto ran over to her waving his hands in the air.

"Konbanwa Hinata-chan. So are you ready?" He sat his bag down next to the wooden pole

"H-Hai," she nodded, "Ano Naruto-kun… what should we start with?" She hoped of the pole but kept her head hung low.

"Oh… hmm… let's spar first. That way I could personally see how good you are." drawing out his words mischievously. He readied his stance and watch Hinata get into hers.

"Hai" she spoke with a blush.

"Ok, don't hold back ok," Of course he was going to go back. It's not hypocritical if you have a good reason right? Even if it was, it was to help a friend and that was all he needed to know.

She was a bit worried and hesitant and she really didn't want to questions yet, "But N-Naruto-kun… I r-really don't want to risk hurting your," It was really sweet of her to be so concerned for his safety when her own should be the one for worry. Then again it could be that she was confident he wouldn't dare hurt her? That was most likely yes.

"It'll be ok. Just don't hit me hard ok?" he joked. At least this way he'd gauge her movements without actually hurting her.

"Hai" she answered back now less worried.

"Ok… here I come" Naruto charged at her then jumped and tried to hit her from above. Hinata was startled at the speed and was barely able to dodge it. Naruto recovered and quickly swept at her feet. Again she dodged it and jumped over Naruto striking him in the chest. Just as her palm made contact to his chest he grabbed her wrist and used his momentum to toss her above him. He then used his sweeping feet to curl upwards and launch the lavender-eyed girl even higher.

He thought he'd got her but the girl recovered in the air. She glanced down below and just barely noticed that Naruto was no longer in the ground but right in front of her ready to land a kick. At the last moment the girl twisted her body around the flying limb and grabbed his foot. With one leg, Hinata nailed Naruto in the face. The boy's leg had escaped her grasp when she brought her other foot to a round house kick. The blond easily avoided with a replacement jutsu, appearing a few feet above his prey. Then just as quickly a foot came flying towards her, she barely managed to block the attack but was sent hurling down to the ground. She closed her eyes ready to feel the pain of falling from such a height when nothing came. She opened her eyes to see a set of sparkling cerulean orbs staring at her. The blonde had caught her before she hit the ground.

"Wow Hinata-chan! That was good! I don't think even Sasuke would have block both those kicks but you did and you countered one too. I don't get why you're not ranked higher in class."

Hinata could only blush due to the fact that the boy who she had a crush on for three years had praised her for her skill or because he was holding her bridal style.

Just as she began to talk a shuriken came whizzing by. Naruto noticed this and swayed his head to avoid getting hit. He turned around to see a dark figure on a tree branch.

"Uzumaki Naruto? How fortunate that I found you so soon" the shadow said. Naruto looked at Hinata and could see the fright in her eyes.

Something inside the boy's head began to stir as a voice came out, "Watch it Gaki. I can smell him. It's an Oniouja!" the demon-overseer warned.

This was definitely bad timing. 'How the hell am I supposed to fight one of them? I'm still stuck in this puny body!' Naruto almost shouted. He was so scared, not for his sake, but for the girl in his arms. He didn't want her to get involved, but that seemed to be too late. His distraction clouded his mind; thankfully the Kyuubi was there to settle him down.

Some where in his mind, the Chakra monster rolled his eyes, "Do you not see me as useful? I am your tool to defeat these foes? His presence is strong, but not nearly as strong as the others. Remember what Kami-sama said, they may not be that powerful from the start, and this one is only number three. One of the weaker ones" the jailor explained.

'Okay, so maybe I err… I mean we can take him on. What about Hinata? I need to get her out of here first!' his eyes quickly fixated on the girl he was holding. Gently he let her down and motioned her to go, "Hinata run! I'll hold him off here" he said trying to relieve a hindrance, a very cute and only temporary hindrance.

To his surprise, or partial surprise, she didn't even budge, "No! I can't leave you here. I won't let you get hurt" all of the sudden Naruto had a vision of the mission to get Sasuke. He remembered the old Hinata tell him something along the same lines. Without thinking he grabbed Hinata by her arm and ran towards the village. The shady figure was in hot pursuit and gaining. He had no choice but to fight him using his enhanced techniques.

He then pointed her towards a few rocks, "Onegai Hinata. Stay here and close your eyes… I really don't want you to see this," the young boy said, and it was true. How could he possible begin to explain himself to her? She'll think he's crazy and never talk to him again.

She watched him with pleading eyes. For some reason, he really didn't want her to see this, 'He's not thinking of fighting him is he?' and he was. The girl gave him a quick hug and whispered in his ear, "Please be safe" which brought a small smile to his face. After a quick nod, she ran towards the bundle of rocks and lowered her head to avoid seeing whatever it was she wasn't supposed to see.

He knew he could not hold back because he had to protect Hinata. The Kyuubi-fied blonde ran towards the shady opponent. The new light showed he wore a simple black ninja jumpsuit, similar to the training garments Lee and Gai wore, with the addition of a black face mask.

Wanting to test out the enemy's power he slowly gathered a bit of red chakra and began creating ten shadow clones. The ten other bunshin quickly surrounded the demon-possessed person. The first three came and quickly charged, all were enhanced with Kyuubi's chakra. Since it was no longer tainted and the Kyuubi was his partner in a way, accessing it was easy, and his feral appearance was limited to only extended fangs, claws, and more defined whiskers. His eyes, on the other hand remained a calm, sterling blue, and there were no black lining in his eyes nor his mouth.

Despite their appearance, they were in deed too fast for the nin to be noticed and was quickly thrashed and sent hurdling to the ground. He was shocked at being hit but shook it off as he swung his katana destroying the three clones. Two more clones waited under him and the enemy turned around ready to strike at them. The clones readied their kunais and hid explosion tags behind each one. As the enemy struck at their kunai he saw a flap of paper and knew it was a explosion tag. He tried to avoid it but was caught in the blast. All of the sudden four clones came from all direction towards the hurt Nin. With each successive hit they yelled, "U-Zu-Ma-Ki" then the fifth clone came from the sky and nailed the cloud nin. "NARUTO RENDAN".

The possessed nin was found lying on the floor when all of the sudden his clothes began to rip apart and he slowly transformed into a devilish looking creature. He had the same body, but his look was similar to a dead soul with vicious fangs, sharp claws, blood-red eyes, and pale skin. What ever was going on, it didn't look good.

The blonde quickly looked at Hinata and noticed that she was in his line of attack. Suddenly the real Naruto jumped from the treetops and landed in front of Hinata. The heiress looked in awe at her crush and noticed a swirling blue sphere in his right hand. He charged the nin and screamed "RASENGAN!" the blue orb struck the blade the enemy carried and shattered it, it then continued to hit him in the chest burying itself through the skin until he was sent spiraling towards a tree and had gone straight through it smashing two more trees on the way.

"Now kit! Only my chakra could destroy him. Summon me and send it through his heart" yelled his tenant. Naruto had no clue what he was talking about, assuming he had killed him, but obviously that wasn't the case.

The boy ran towards his opponent and was shocked to see that he was slowly getting up. Without even noticing, more red chakra emitted from his body as a red hand began to seep out of his belly. He ran full speed towards the foe while Kyuubi threw a chakra hand through the possessed man's chest.

To his horror, a blood-curdling scream came out. It sounded so unnatural, so demonic, like the screams thousands of hell inflicted souls. It was unknown to him that the scream was heard by the Hyuuga heiress. Fearful of the boy's life, she decided to see what was wrong.

To her horror and even greater concern, she saw a demonic claw stab through a vampire looking person, who she could tell was in fact the black masked nin.

Soon the screaming stopped and Kyuubi's Chakra began to reabsorb back into his body. "It is done. I am proud to say you did fairly against this foe, though I must warn you the rest will not be as easy. This was only a tenth of their true power," His complement some how wounded up causing more worry.

"Nani!? I know Kami said they'd be weaker at first but only a tenth!? You got to be kidding me!" he shouted, still unaware of the shocked little girl not to far away.

It was then that the Kyuubi calmed himself enough to finally notice the presence of the girl. "This doesn't look good for you Gaki. Seem like your friend got a little curious" and with that said, he slowly fell back into the recesses of his mind, not wanting to see this drama unfold.

He leaned against the rock breathing slightly heavily and noticed that the lavender-eyed princess was watching the entire battle. He looked at her and knew she was going to expect something.

He could only look down somewhat shameful and scared to tell her the truth but knew he had to do it.

Slowly she approached and the lavender-eyed girl looked closely at the young blond and put her hand on his shoulders.

"Naruto-kun…are you ok? And… w-what was that jutsu y-you did?" She lost her grip in her shoulders and saw him look more down and started to turn to face the other way as if in utter shame. "Go-Gomen! I-I didn't mean to p-pry" he grabbed her hands and held on to it like a lifeline.

"No… Hinata don't be sorry. I-… I haven't been honest with you" the girl just looked at him with eyes of worry and confusion. "We need to talk, but before I tell you, promise me you won't think I'm crazy. Promise me that you won't run away scared" he slowly looked at her afraid that he might have scared her off but instead found a pair of beautiful lavender eyes, the same eyes that saved his life and showed him she cared. He continued to gaze at her until he noticed that she had nodded.

He then slowly sat her down and began to tell her everything starting with the most believable and simplest, the Kyuubi. He looked to make sure she wasn't afraid and found that her eyes were more filled with worry for him. He then motioned her eyes to his stomach as he lifted his shirt. This caused the Hyuga heiress to blush a bit but was astonished to see a seal in his stomach as he started to focus chakra there. They both nodded for him to continue and tell about the past life. This was the part that he dreaded constantly checking to make sure she didn't think he was crazy. He stood up and demonstrated his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Several clones popped into view, then he began to gather demonic energy. As best he could, Naruto explained the reason he is hear and why that man attacked him, leaving out some of the more complicated details. Simply he said that he was from the future and was supposed to stop other demons. The blonde considered he'd fill her in with some of the more finer details later on… assuming there would be a later on.

He finally told her about a girl who saved his life, the only girl to have shown so much kindness and complete trust. He said that it was partially because of her that he worked hard to manage to get here. Somehow, thinking of her got him determined to find a way… and he did.

The blonde raised his head and look at the lavender-eyed girl expecting her to look scared. He raised a sad smile and stared at the girl, "Well I guess it was stupid for me to ask you to not think I'm crazy huh? You probably want to run away now. Go ahead, I'm not holding you back, it's safer if you do anyways." Naruto said, his voice sounding faint with every syllable. He stood up ready to leave when he felt two arms wrap around him. He started to hear sobs and wetness from tears soak the back of his shirt. He was shocked at her reaction.

"N-Naruto-kun, how c-could you ev-ever think I'd h-hate you? I could n-never hate you N-Naruto-kun nor w-would I ever th-think you were cr-crazy" He slowly turned around and returned her embrace. "N-Naruto-kun… how d-did you handle all this b-by yours-s-self" she continued to sob while her head rested on his chest. Her hands were rapped around his body holding on to his shoulders while his arms were gently placed around her waist with his fingers locked. He laid his head on top of hers smiling with relief. After seeing Hinata die the first time he longed to have a second chance with her. He finally had it. He took the time to remember everything, the smell of her hair, the feeling of her back, the fabric of her shirt, and the feel of her face on his chest. After a minute of silence she stopped her sobbing and took a few deeps breathes.

"You mean… you actually believe me?" he said, still not believing, but glad by the turn-out.

Just slightly, she giggled. Wasn't it obvious? "Of c-course I believe you! W-would I be here right now i-if I didn't?" she said sarcastically. Then she remembered what he'd been talking about just before, "N-Naruto-kun… A-about that girl, you s-said she is special to you… did y-you l-love her?" her heart was beating rapidly afraid that the one she now loved, loved someone else.

"Actually… I didn't really know her all that well. We really just got close before it happened. Demo… now that I think about it, if I were to meet her again, I'm sure I would" her heart stopped. Her hand lost grip off his shoulders and fell along with some of her will. Tears began to form but she would not let him see. "You see, she was strong, brave, and very beautiful" Now she was done, her tears ran down again and she failed at hiding her emotion. "Hinata? W-what's wrong?"

"W-why don't y-you go to h-her then. I-if s-she's so s-special to you, y-you'd go to her r-right?" slowly he backed her away and tried to gaze at her eyes. She just kept her head hung low and tried to avoid him seeing her cry. He took his hand and gently picked her chin up. He could see the fragile lavender color begin to fade into a miserable shade of gray.

"Hmph, silly little girl" the crying maiden quickly looked back at the sparkling sapphire eyes.

"You are that kunoichi. You're gonna be that same strong, confident, and beautiful girl that I admire so much... that I care about a lot." 'Hinata, I don't know when or how… but I feel like I'm falling for you' Naruto thought. Oh he wouldn't dare say that out loud… though it wouldn't be to bad of an idea. Wait no! he has to take things slow. I mean he has all this time now right?

Again for what seemed to be the millionth time she was completely shocked. The person she loved had might actually return her feelings. She couldn't handle it anymore she jumped up to him and embraced him in a tight hug.

She then looked back up to see his face to say what she's been wanting to say for so long. "Naruto-kun… I-I..." She couldn't form the words. 'I LOVE YOU I love you... why can't I just say it'. She began to feel his eyes question her and after one last deep breath she finally confessed. "I care about you too… maybe more than the other Hinata in your past…" Well it wasn't exactly what she wanted to say… but it was close enough.

A sigh came from the young boy's mouth following a contempt smile. They sat like that. Neither wanted to let go. It took the shining of the moon to bring the couple back to earth.

"Hinata… I…" he was stopped by a pair of soft pink lips that settled itself upon his cheek. That was out of complete impulse and not one bit of her regretted it. He blushed at the kiss just for a moment until he knew he had to let go. He moved back separating themselves, disappointing both of them.

"Naruto-kun… I-I'm just so happy. Please just stay with me just a little longer?" she asked as she rested her head on his shoulders.

"Sure 'Nata, what ever you say" he blushed but couldn't care less.

'Nata? Hmm I really like that' she thought.

"Thank you Naruto-kun" she smiled when she called him by his own personal nickname.

He wrapped his hands around her once more to savor and relive the moment that took place a second ago. The blond gently rubbed her back making the fair-skinned girl to break out into a bigger grin as she snuggled her head farther into his chest. "C'mon it's getting dark. I don't want your folks to get worried" He took her hand and helped her up.

They walked down the path back to the village, their hands intertwined. The couple found themselves at the corner of the Hyuuga estate. "Uh, 'Nata… I just wanted to say… you know, thanks… for everything"

The lavender-eyed girl began giggling at his offer, "Do itashi mashite Naruto-kun" She gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. "O-one last kiss goodnight" She put on a foxy grin much like Naruto. He found this irresistible and kissed her one last time.

"I wanted my goodnight kiss too" he chuckled and let her go. "Demo, we should really keep this a secret for now huh?" the blonde understood his girlfriend's situation.

"Hai… its probably for the best" she sighed. Hinata gave him one last smile before heading in.

"G'night 'Nata" he began waving to his new girlfriend as she walked to her house.

"Good night… Naruto-kun" she whispered to herself while she took her hands and held it against her heart. "Be safe"

"Be safe" he spoke to himself unaware that Hinata also said this to him. They walked away to their homes thinking about each other.

After a brief moment of silence the Kyuubi began talking, "Hey Kit, aren't you forgetting something?"

The young blonde made a confused face as he looked up. "Eh? whatcha talking about fuzz butt?"

The fox grumbled while his head shook in disappointment "Will demeaning me through your name calling live through the next day? But more importantly, must I remind you to dispose of the body? His death does not mean the physical disappearance," The non-demonic demon lord said, making the blond feel… well like a blond.

The young boy smacked his forehead for almost forgetting to deal with it. "Crap! What am I supposed to do with it? I kinda slept through that part in the academy"

"Sending the body down the river is a better plan of action than leaving it in plain site," He said as he smirked at his own dull form of sarcasm.

"That's It fur ball! Can't believe I never thought of that!" He ran towards the woods again hoping the carcass was still there"

"I'm a bit worried that you are unable to comprehend tone. Perhaps sarcasm is wasted with a small brain like yours," He could tell the boy was no longer listening to him as he searched frantically for the enemy's body.

He got home rather late that day jumping roof-to-roof feeling exhausted. Thank Kami it was a Friday cause he would never be able to wake up for the academy.

* * *

**JULY 19 2009. MAJOR REVISION**

((( Also got rid of any mention of Kyuubi's name. After a while i really started to hate it, mostly because i kept forgetting what it was haha. If you haven't noticed i made Kyuubi much more... lord-like?? he's less sarcastic and much more formal)))


	5. Seperated Again

**JULY 21 2009 More Changes**

**went ahead and continued on some changes. There's alot that i couldn't really change too much or i'll have to rewrite an even greater amount of stuff and i don't want to change the story flow. Next chapter is where most of the sappy drama comes in and i plan on changing it so it doesn't look so... amateur blah. Angst is ok but unnecessary sap story pity parties are not, and those are thing i definitely frown on with fics and i'd hate to be a hypocrite. well hope this version is better  
**

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto.**

* * *

Three years had past since that night, two years since he officially asked her to be his girlfriend and one year since their heart felt confession to one another. Whether it was a surprise or not, It was actually Naruto who asked her if she loved him. Her answer of course was a tearful smile and a good kiss on the lips. Of course she told him she shared the same feelings… for a LONG time unintentionally hitting a guilty spot for the boy. Nevertheless they were in the trapped in a haze called puppy love, but to them… they knew it may be something stronger.

Currently, Naruto and Hinata continued they're training while occasionally taking the time off just to relax. Though difficult, they knew that their relationship would be safer if it was kept secret. Hinata was the heiress of the prestigious Hyuuga Clan. It was a possibility that she would take over as head of the clan, which made dating something of a serious matter concerning suitors and marriage. Naruto knew he had no chance to formally court her. So far things were fine. Her father never took much of an interest in her giving her enough freedom to sneak around with a certain blond.

He spent his days training and finally mastering his prized Rasengan. It took a while to achieve this state of chakra control though he knew it was time when he managed to summon several decent bunshins. The blond also had a knack for developing jutsu,. He knew he had to considering the waste of talent having two affinities and no abilities. He tried harness it the way Kyuubi had but that went down the drain. Hinata also took interest in element manipulation and easily discovered she had an affinity to water. This led to a habit of training near water, preferably around waterfalls. She knew she wasn't really up for elemental techniques, even if they were available. Nevertheless, with Naruto's help she quickly learned all of the basic chakra control exercises including the tree and water walking exercises.

Besides training Hinata, he often told her many things of his past. Hinata was eager to listen to the blonde talk. She was amazed about his stories and had a small feeling he had over exaggerated in some details but giggled at the thoughts. She had become very comfortable with the young blue-eyed lad that her stuttering had nearly vanished. Her amazing transformation was not something to go unnoticed. She was able to become one of the highest-ranking girls in her class and managed to stay in the top five. Her remarkable improvement was noticed not just by Iruka-sensei but to her own father, though it still wasn't enough for him to be proud of. For his standards were, be the best or fail, not caring that her class had the most potential in a long time.

He had given up on Hinata at a young age having felt she was weak and the most inferior of the Hyuga youth. His impression was not hidden, as she felt belittled by her own father. Now he often looked twice at his daughter noticing her lack in stutter and head no longer hung down but held high baring more determined eyes. Her knew attitude piqued the Clan head's interest. He had sent one of his servants to spy on Hinata to see what is exactly is the reason for her change of habit.

It was one of those days where practice seemed to end real quickly. The young couple, now twelve, lay on the grass watching the clouds pass by. They lay on opposite directions with their heads near to each other. Both their right hands lay between the two while they gently grasped each other.

"Gomen 'Nata but I feel too lazy right now to train. I think I might be hanging out with Shikamaru too much" he laughed a bit and looked over to his secret girlfriend and gave a foxy grin.

She heard his joked and saw his goofy grin. She had seen that grin hundreds of times but each time it makes her giggle and slightly blush. "It's fine Naruto-kun, I'm glad we took a break" the blond gave a light squeeze to his girlfriend's hand causing her to turn her head to face his. She rolled over to his side and took his other hand and slowly placed it on her cheek, brushing away some of the hair on the side of her face with his thumb. This caused the dark-haired girl's heart to pound like a drum while blood rushed to her face. They looked into each other's eyes causing her to feel like she had drowned in a pool of sparkling cerulean water and he into souring through soft lavender clouds.

"You know, I really can't believe I used to be so dumb that I never saw you like this. I don't even remember how I was able to even spend my time not being with you" his calm secure face brightened into a glowing sweet smile. She was complete flushed at his statement, as was he when he saw her blush. Yet instead of fainting she scooted over and rested her head on his chest. He looked at the pretty girl that laid on his body and carefully ran his hands through her hair and continued his hands down the side of her head and then to her shoulders. He caressed her arms making an up and down motion feeling her incredibly soft fair skin. She had her eyes closed so she could focus on his touch that gave her goose bumps that trailed his touch. The lavender-eyed girl slowly opened her eyes to be greeted by a pair of loving ultramarine spheres. The blonde suddenly blushed as he saw his girlfriend look at him.

She quickly noticed that he had blushed and found it funny that he would. "Why are you blushing? Do I make you nervous Na-ru-to-kun?" she started to chuckle as she saw her love blush harder. He couldn't say it but the way she said it was very cute.

"Well you're a girl… standing really close to me… and you're really pretty" his blush seemed contagious as it began to spread to the lovely lady resting on his chest. She began to sit-up and crawled her way towards his head. She stopped and positioned his head on her lap. She playfully ruffled up his hair and then smiled at the blonde's upside-down face. She slowly bent down to give him a small kiss on his forehead then moved up and they gave each other Eskimo kisses.

The young blonde responded by tilting his head and raising it to her ear and whispered, "You know 'Nata, I like you" he predicted her reaction and so dropped his head back to the ground.

She picked her head up slightly and moved it so it would be eye level with the playful boy. "like? That's it?"

He grinned knowing where this conversation would lead. "No… really like" he saw a cute pout form at his reply then added, "Gomen 'Nata but there's someone else who already occupies my heart" She was pretty shocked not knowing what to think just letting her eyes express her concern. "Yup… I love my Hina-hime" His foxy grin eased down to a sincere smile.

Her pout and concerned eyes returned into a smile and decided to kiss him in the forehead again. "I like 'Nata better" She sat up completely and watched the blond pout as he instantly missed the heat that came from her face being so close.

All of the sudden the couple heard a rustle from the bushes. They hurriedly looked towards the bushes, Hinata activating her Byakugan. Then all of a sudden she stood up.

"Hinata-chaaan…" he playfully whined. Slowly got up to his feet and shifted glances between the bushes and the startled female.

A man wearing white clothes and long brown hair tied into a pony tail jumped out of the bushes and began walking towards the young couple. "Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama asks for your presence at his office at once. I suggest you leave… immediately" He leered at the boy, clear as glass to be one of the pride blinded members of his clan. With a swirl of wind and leaves, he disappeared leaving a circle-like shape of debris.

'Oh no… he saw us. He's going to tell father!' she involuntarily gave a worried look that got the confused boy curious. "Gomen I have to go" she gave a sad smile while grabbing her jacket.

"Eh? What happened? Why were you called up so suddenly?" he asked as he scratched the back of his head while keeping his slightly worried expression.

"I-I'm not sure. I'll tell you as soon as I found out" she began running towards the Hyuuga compound as she slightly turned around, "Sayonara Naruto-kun" her words barely made it back to him as she saw her become more and more into a small dot.

"Ok… ja ne 'Nata" he silently said to himself.

* * *

"Hiashi-sama. I'm here to report on Hinata-sama" The same guy who spied on the two youths came in from a swirl of leaves and quickly bowed to the longhaired man.

"Proceed" The long-haired man kept a constant stoic face as he listened to his report. He stated that her life was typical for her. She seems to spend time in the library when she's not training but has also made a couple of new friends including a pair of relatively loud pink and blonde headed girls. His face was kept serious showing absolutely no emotion until a certain report startled him almost into a state of visible shock.

After mentioning a few minor details he continued into the more serious details. "As I asked around from a few of her peers, she seemed to spend some time with the demon-child" He looked hard at the white-clothed Hyuga making sure he was serious about the information he reported. "I was in somewhat disbelief of this and then questioned their relationship. That is until I followed the heiress to her training area" He took a pause afraid to reveal what he witnessed.

He continued to eye down the branch-member unknowingly intimidating him, yet he did not know how else to look at him. "Well? Don't test my patience. I want you to finish this report now!"

The fearful servant shook off the nervousness and straightened up ready to continue. "She was… romantically associating herself with the Kyuubi brat" The servant, now on a state of panic, knew full well that the clan head would be enraged.

His eyes began to transform into cold unforgivable silver. "That is unacceptable by ALL standards!" The shaking servant nodded. "And where is she now?" Hiashi asked.

Still slightly shivering in his boots, he tried to answer as best he could while hiding his fear, "She's on her way now," He nodded with a big sigh having lucked out on his assumption. He feared that he had called the heiress for no tangible reason.

"Good. For now I want you to find the Kyuubi brat and make sure he stays away from Hinata. Are we clear?" His cold eyes haven't left the poor servant's face; even more he hadn't even blinked since he first heard the news.

"Hai. I'll find him right away" As he readied to disappear into a small whirlwind of leaves the door creaked open and a head full of midnight blue hair appeared followed by a pair of lavender eyes which seemed to loose its sheen at the sight of the Hyuuga that saw them at the park dissipate in front of her father.

'No… he definitely reported to Otou-sama about Naruto and me didn't he? Oh no, no, no… I'm dead'

Her face became insanely pale as if blood had not existed anywhere near her head. "Y-you summoned me o-otou-sama?"

His head slowly motioned to the scared girl's position, yet he failed to open his eyes. "Yes… I would like to know where you were today. I sent a servant to fetch you but he seemed to have trouble locating you"

She knew she was dead and dreaded the fact that her father would be dragging it for a while. "I-I was out tr-training" She hung her head slow trying to hide her frightened eyes yet she knew he wouldn't be looking at her anyways.

"I see. Were you training alone? I assume you had someone helping you… am I correct?" He still had his eyes closed paying attention only to every slight sound of her guilty-sounding breathes.

"Hai… I was training with a fr… classmate" She he was playing with her, but she felt a bit safer saying she was with a classmate rather than a friend. A classmate would sound much more formal compared to a friend.

"And who is this classmate you speak of?" He had finished dragging on.

"It was U-U-Uzu-Maki N-N-Nar-Naruto" She clenched her eyes shut bracing herself for a yelling of a lifetime, but it never came. Instead a strong stoic command was heard.

"You know that you are not to associate with that orphan" He still hadn't taken a glance at his daughter. The girl however snapped her eyes open at hearing his command and especially the use of 'monster'.

"Otou-sama, demo…" she was interrupted by a serious yell.

"By order of the head of the Hyuuga Clan, you are not to speak, interact, or associate with that Uzumaki brat understand?" Tears began to form in her eyes thinking about not being able to be with him. She couldn't handle the information he was giving her, part of her sadness began to transform into frustration.

"NO! Y-you… you can't do that!" She began to lose vision from the amount of tears drowning her gray orbs. All color had gone from her eyes leaving only trails of tears that trickled onto the floor.

"It is already decided. I have sent a branch-member to 'inform' the brat. I will also have a talk to the academy head and see if I could remove that peasant out of your class or have him as far away from you as possible. I expect you to abide by these commands as a Hyuuga and as an heiress should" He slowly tilted his head back down to his desk returning to the paperwork he was currently working on.

The poor girl was speechless. She couldn't yell if she wanted. Her throat fell dry and scratchy as if all the liquid from her body left her through her tears. Her legs felt wobbly and knees ready to give in. Two pairs of arms hung lifelessly off her slumped shoulders. If there hadn't been a servant to escort her she would have fell right down to the floor and drowned in the pool of her own tears. As she quivered as she slowly made her way into her room. Thoughts about Naruto continued to flash on her mind until something her father said suddenly struck her. 'I have sent a branch member to 'inform' the brat' As mad as she was at the fact that her father kept making insults to the boy she was more worried by what exactly the branch member was supposed to do.

"Naruto-kun…" she whispered as she fell on her bed.

* * *

The young blond sneaked his way back to his apartment avoiding angry villagers, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Suddenly he felt something rush past him. In a glance he noticed it was a shuriken what barely managed to miss his shoulder. He instantly looked towards the direction the shuriken was coming from.

From atop a taller building a white figure with brown hair stood watching the youthful boy. He stopped and closely examined the figure. It had jumped from the taller building across the street and landed a few meters away from him on the same rooftop

Naruto eyed him out and realized it was a Hyuuga. 'Does this have something to do with Hinata?'

**'That is not of importance right now, keep your attention on this threat. That shuriken was no accident' **Kyuubi stated knocking off any hopes of good news possibly sent by Hinata.

'Of course. Well better ask him anyway' He took a step closer and tried to give him a intimidating look while his Cobalt eyes began to stared at him closely. "Who are you? What business does the Hyuuga Clan have with me" His stare down continued trying hard to read his body language.

"Perceptive eyes I see. Then again I should expect you to know when a Hyuuga is present considering you have been seen trifling with Hiashi-sama's daughter" He gave an odd smirk while trying to keep his stoic face.

"So this has to deal with Hinata? Well… Spit it out Baka!" His patience ran low as he could no longer keep his cool knowing Hinata could be in trouble.

"Of course, no matters at all. It is to be expected from a brat like you" He slightly rolled his eyes and began to cross his arms.

"Kuso! What did you say!?" He was steaming mad now. Almost at the verge of breaking out the Kyuubi's chakra just so that he could get some extra boost.

"I was sent here to inform you that you are no longer allowed to associate or communicate to Hinata-sama once so ever. You are to keep away from her as she is commanded to do the same," he said as he kept his arms crossed.

"And who says I'll listen to you. I'm not a part of your household. The old man can't tell me what to do" He smirked back at the Hyuuga who now had his arms at his side seeming to get ready to get into stance.

"I was told I was to use force if necessary. And I have no problem defeating a petty child,"

He glared at the blond readying his Jyuuken.

He readied his own stance full well he had to fight without using any special jutsu or he knew his secret my get out. 'What's the point in me doing all this and being with Hinata if were just gonna be separated again! I'm not losing her like this' the boy took out his right fist and waved it in front of him. "Bring it asshole!" He charged the Hyuuga and took out a Kunai and held it firmly in his hand.

On the street a familiar gray haired man was walking down the street reading the latest issue of Ichi Ichi Paradise. He heard few sounds from above and noticed a familiar figure wearing a white t-shirt and black training pants and another figure who seemed to look like a Hyuuga. With a sudden puff of smoke, he disappeared into the night sky.

* * *

_Flashback five years ago_

The young blonde noticed the sun going down and sprinted as fast as he can towards his house. It was a long run from the training grounds to his place and he was worried that he might not make it to his house by dark. Much like many times in the past, whenever he was out late, the villagers would take advantage of this and chased him around the town. He always seemed to bump into an angry mob whenever he's caught out late, so the blonde always took precaution to always be in the comfort of home away from angry fists and feet.

This special day Naruto was definitely running late and happened to bump into a rather large drunken man. The wobbly giant instantly recognized the young lad as the demon-child and began running after him. This caused a commotion attracting attention to more villagers, thus a mob was formed once again. The young boy ran as fast as his seven year old legs could take him. 'Kuso... I'm so dead! Gotta find cover... Ah Kakashi Sensei!' the young boy recognized his old sensei but remembered that this would be the first time he would meet him. Regardless he ran towards the gray-haired man.

"HELP! Angry... mob... Chasing... me" He was panting heavily as he ran and barely caught the attention of the slightly perverted man.

"Eh? What mo-... OH. That mob. C'mon kid" He motioned the boy to run towards him while the man's eyes were still fixed on the black blur running towards them.

The boy ran towards the man and just as he reached for his hand, the two disappeared into a puff of smoke. They found themselves in one of the rooftops not to far from the mob. "So... Naruto correct?" the boy just nodded and hoped he was the same compassionate person of the past. "Well do you always get yourself into that much trouble?" The boy nodded again. "Hmm... that's kinda sad. Look Naruto, if you ever run into trouble like that again just look for me ok" The boy nodded once again but with a big smile on his face and a huge sigh of relief in his head knowing that Kakashi was the same guy from his past.

The two walked back home avoiding all main streets and as much people as they could as they made their way to the apartment. The young blond told Kakashi what happened and the fact that he hates being out in the village after dark. They just reached the stairs of his apartment when the gray-haired man gave Naruto one last reminder. "Just remember whenever you're in trouble just look..." he was interrupted by the young blond.

"Just look for the guy with the Icha Icha book" He gave a foxy grin while he rubbed his finger under his nose.

The man just looked at the kid and smiled back. "I was going to say the handsome masked ninja but that works too"

The young blond gave one last wave before running up his apartment with a happy face put on knowing he has one more person he can go to. 'Glad I found Kakashi when i did. I really didn't feel like getting beat up today'

The fox inside him began to rustle, "Sure Kit. Well you better learn how to defend yourself again. I get tired of healing you stupid injures made from those damn villagers" He said while trying to get settled in his cage. 'I wonder if meeting that one-eyed pervert early in the Kit's life will effect the kids future. Ugh... Technically that boy's supposed to be an adult by now but he still thinks like a seven year-old' He shook his head to lazy to share his thoughts.

The slightly perverted gray-haired man continued walking and pulled out his book. Suddenly a big sigh came out. "Shoot... I dropped my bookmark" a creepy smile began to form from under his mask. "Guess I'll just have to read it from the beginning" the man continued to walk happily along, his eyes super-glued to the book.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Back on the rooftop the two fighters charged towards each other. They both through left kicks but were stopped by a mysterious pair of hands. "What's up Naruto? Who's your friend?"

* * *

**Didn't really touch up on the flash back... well didn't really touch much after Hinata's conversation with Hiashi. I was actually planning to change Hiashi a bit but it would've messed with the story so i kept him a royal jErk.  
**


	6. A Shadow A Note

**JULY 21 2009**

**Ok i planned on some major reconstruction with what i thought in my head, useless angst... but after i read over it.. i realized there wasn't much i could really change. Nothing was as ridiculously unrealistic as i remembered. Sure things could be questioned but that wasn't much. I hope it's not the lazyness talking but i think i'm done with the rewriting. I'll just go ahead and start up new chappys haha. well enjoy**

**Disclaimer: same as last chapter  
**

* * *

"What's up Naruto? Who's your friend?" The gray-haired man made a smirk as he easily blocked the two legs from colliding. The Hyuuga jumped back seeming to be a bit startled but quickly regained his composure.

"I am finished here. I have delivered my message and warning if you do not comply to the clan's decisions. Oh and one last thing, it was by Hinata-sama's order to tell you this" He gave one more glance to the two guys and then vanished into a swirl of air.

The blonde's eyebrows began to furrow, 'What the hell did he mean by that? Hinata wouldn't do that, even if it was for her clan… right?' he mentally asked. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the scarecrow next to him.

"You mind telling me what happened here Naruto?" On one knee, he calmly stood up and eyed the young boy with a look of curiosity. The blonde began to tell the gray-haired man about the situation and a smirk began to form under his mask.

"Hey why are you smiling for? This is serious" He frowned at the older gentlemen. His eyebrows were scrunched and his stare tried to pierce through his mask.

"Huh? Oh I know this is serious Naruto demo, I read something like this on Icha Icha Paradise" His smile was completely visible through his mask and his exposed eye formed into an upside-down 'U' showing happiness.

"Nani? What the hell does that pervy book have to do with this!" He continued to glare at the odd nin.

"On one of the stories the princess fell in love with the stable boy. They tried to keep their relationship a secret but the jealous knight told the king of their forbidden love. But the two lovers couldn't bare to be apart so they ran away and started their own ranch and had a lot of alone time" He gave a wink to Naruto as a slight blush formed on his face. It was hurriedly diminished by a infuriating wrinkle forming on his forehead.

"EHHhh! That has nothing to do with THIS. I'm not a 'Stable boy'…" he stopped his ranting for a second long enough to form some thoughts. 'But I guess Hinata is a princess… I mean in a way she is considering that she's an heiress. But what was that about running away? No way I can't do that… at least not now!' He took his head out of the clouds and brought his stare back at the curious looking gray-haired Jounin. "Look Kakashi-san. I'm not sure what kind of advise your giving me but I think I'm alright"

He said trying to ease himself the stress that he oddly had.

"Hmm… ok. I really wasn't giving advice, just pointing out some irony" He gave another smile and made his eyes into and arch. "Demo… If you want advice, just stay out of trouble" The older man looked down at the young blond and noticed his frustration was clear but worry seemed to occupy his thoughts.

"Oh, alright. Arigato Kakashi-sama. I think I'm just gonna head back home, ja ne" The young blonde waved his hands in the air and jumped from rooftop to rooftop towards his apartment.

The slightly perverted ninja made sigh for relief that seemed to mirror his face. He began to walk back ready to jump off the roof when he felt like he had kicked something. He looked down and noticed his book had slid across the roof, stopping in a puddle of dirty water and gunk. His eyes became wide-eyed as he rushed over to pick up the soaking book. "No no no no" he began crying as wavy rivers began flowing down his cheek. "My new Icha Icha Paradise book. I Haven't even started finished the first chapter".

He took his slumped head and raised it over the edge. His eyes began to focus at a green book standing behind a glass window. "Ahhh. Oh Kami thank you" He jumped off the rooftop and ran inside the bookstore with giant smile concealed by a thin fabric.

* * *

The lavender-eyed girl continued to sob in her pillows. Thoughts of him raved her mind. His voice, his eyes, his touch, his smell, it all paraded around her head. She couldn't bare the idea of Her not being able to talk to her love nevertheless see him. 'I can't let this happen. I can't let the best thing in my life leave me. I… I have to see him'

She rolled out of bed and looked at her desk. Suddenly a vision flashed through her mind of the time Naruto secretly took Hinata to a caravel a few months previous.

* * *

_Flashback_

"C'mon 'Nata let's take a picture" He took her hand and led her to a photo stand.

"Wait… Naruto-kun… what if somebody sees us? We can't afford to get caught" the young girl put on a sad face. Yet she noticed that her active date had not frowned. In stead he put one finger on his chin, scrunched his lips and rolled his eyes back as if he was in deep thought.

Suddenly his eyes flashed at Hinata. "I got it" He grabbed her by her hand again and led her to another corner of the street where they found a vacant photo booth. He looked back with his shimmering cerulean eyes and raised the curtain leading her in first. "This way we could get our picture taken and no one will notice.

The two settled in their seats waiting for their picture to be taken. The blonde put on a devilish smile that was hidden to Hinata. Anticipating the time of the flash, the young lad readied himself until he heard the last and final beep. Just before the flash was made he turned his head towards his date and kissed her on the cheek. This sudden surprise lit up the lavender-eyed girl's face. As they walked out of the booth with wide smiles they took out the two photos and saw a sneaky spiky-haired blond kissing a rather flushed bright-faced Hyuuga. They both admired the photo and promised each other they would take another picture like this next year.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

The young heiress began frantically searching for the photo. She scrambled through all her drawers until finally she found a simple white envelope big enough to put in a picture. It was marked 'Naruto and me' in a pink in lavender ink and shadowed by a trail of blue.

She took one last look at the picture and placed it in her jacket pocket. She locked her door so no one would enter and placed her pillows under her bed strategically to make it look like she was sleeping, just as a precaution. She carefully opened her bedroom window and climbed out onto the deck. In the trees, someone appeared to have rustled the leaves but Hinata was to overcome by the recent events that her senses weren't as keen as they usually are. She jumped of the deck and ran towards the back gate until she noticed a familiar shadow standing in her way. This figure had golden locks of hair and shining sapphire eyes.

The young girl was taken back by the figures appearance at first but easily sunk into a comfortable state. She began to walk over towards the figure and noticed he had stayed still. "'Ruto-kun… I was just about to go see you. I-Is everything alright" She was slightly worried seeing that he hadn't said a thing. He then slowly shook his head to which made the lavender-eyed girl even more worried.

"Hinata-chan. We need to talk" His face was now present to her vision and was clear to look very serious. She didn't know what to expect, only that it was sure to be bad news.

She slunk her head down and made a sigh. "If this is about my Otou-sama finding out then I know but… but I don't care. I lo…" She was interrupted by the blonds' words.

"Wait… Hinata. Before you say anything let me talk first." He watched her slowly nod her head then continued. "I'm completely sick of all this. I'm sick of having to keep our relationship a secret. I'm sick of having to sneak around to see you. And I'm sick of pretending this could all work out perfectly" His face remained serious as he stared at the frail looking girl.

She was a bit shocked to what her boyfriend was saying. And she couldn't make out what he was trying to say, which probably bugged her the most feeling like she didn't know Naruto the way she thought she did. "Naruto-kun…" She slowly approached the frustrated boy in hopes of relieving him of some stress.

She was suddenly stopped by the boy's command. "NO! Hinata do you know what happened to me today?" before she could reply the blonde continued his rant. "I was attacked by one of your father's goons" She raised her head upon hearing the news. She hated her father even more now to not only tell her to stay away from her love but to threaten and actually harm him was out of line.

Tears began to form from her silky eyes as she resumed her pace towards him ready to get her boyfriend in a tight embrace. As her hands began to extend reaching out to her she was stunned to see that he had slapped her hands away. "You just don't get it do you? I'm tired of this relationship!" Her heart had froze. All the warmth in her body was snatched by the wind. She stood there believing this was all a nightmare. There was no way she could believe that the boy who had said he loved her hundreds of times, the boy who has risked his life to save hers, the boy who went back in time to be with her would actually be saying these words. "I want to tell you this in person. We should definitely brake up. I suggest we not see each other for a while. Lets just pretend that none of this… that 'we' never happened" Though his face seemed the same as he held a firm somber look, his eyes had transformed from his typical sapphire blue into a colder shade of Cobalt. The sad girls eyes had also changed. All the color and all the glow seemed to have been stolen from her eyes. All the color of the lavender had faded and all the shine from the silver was clouded leaving her eyes a color of a grim shade of gray.

She began to step back in disbelief. Though she heard it herself she could not accept it. Her sobbing was now uncontrollable barely able to make out words. "N-n-n-Nar-ruto-k-kun… I-I th-thought y-y-you l-l-lo-loved m-me?" She brought her hands to her eyes trying to keep all the fluids from exiting her body. She collapse to her knees as her head began to lower into the ground.

"Hmph. How can I love you when you act like this. You are weak. That's why we can't make this work. I can't fight for the both of us" He watched the girl cry into her hands as the tears easily flooded the ground. She hated this more than anything in the world. This feeling, it felt worse than dying. With all her available strength she gathered it all to stop her crying long enough for her to talk back to the cold-eyed boy.

"USO! No Naruto-kun. Let me get stronger. I… we can get stronger together. Please… let me at least prove it to you, just… JUST DON'T LEAVE ME!" Her crying continued but this time it seemed somewhat more violent. Her cries were louder and her entire body was shivering. She raised her head in one last desperate attempt to see if that compassionate boy he once knew had returned to her. But to her unpleasant discovery, she witnessed the boy turn his back against her and walk away fading into nothingness.

She really did feel like she died. Her sobbing stopped as well as every movable part of her body. She laid on the grass lifelessly. Her legs seemed to be placed bent as if she had no energy to place them in a comfortable position and her arms were simply flailed out in front of her. The color of her eyes had not changed. It still held the same stormy gray color that had appeared in her heart. She felt completely ill. She had the urge to gag but felt like she ran out of fluids to do so.

The poor girl stayed there for several minutes until a few servants found her and picked her up. She had no energy whatsoever to stand or even walk by herself. She was laid to bed still staring of into space as if her soul left her body. Many branch members who had helped her back to her room were incredibly worried. They never had seen the sad heiress act like that before and wondered why she was even out on the yard in the first place

* * *

  
Not too far from the lifeless Hinata, a man appeared into Hiashi's office in a swirl of leaves. "Hiashi-sama, The task is done. I used Genjutsu to make her believe that they had ended their relationship" He watched his master's face carefully searching for any signs of emotion. To his surprise he saw as a sadistic smile that morphed the leader's face.

"Good. And the brat?" His smile grew even more wicked at the mention of our blonde haired hero.

"I have dealt with that to. I posted a letter in Hinata-sama's hand writing and used her personal stationary. I believe this way the letter would seem as authentic as any of her own letters" He was pleased to see that he had succeeded in pleasing his master though he hid it from his expression.

"I am very pleased. That will make sure the demon-child stays away from my daughter" He lowered his head with satisfaction and motioned the servant to leave.

The blue-eyed boy made his way to his apartment. As he ran up the stairs he reached for his pockets to take out his key. As he approached the door he saw a piece of paper attached to it. It was not normal lined paper but fancy stationary.

The young blond looked at the stationary and felt he has seen it before. "Eh? This is Hinata's stationary…" He looked closer as he took the paper and held it to the light trying to read it. His eyes became wide, his keys dropped to the floor as he stared at the piece of paper. He scratched his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things then read it several more times. "This… this is her handwriting. USO! It can't be." He fell to his knees, the now trembling hands still grasped the paper almost ripping it.  
_  
Dear Naruto,_

I have thought about this many times. I was happy that we were together

but we both know this couldn't last. We are too different and there is no

way my father will allow us to be together. I have to support the decision of my father and of my

clan. We have to end this now. We mustn't see each other anymore. If you truly care

about me then you will leave me alone. Just ignore me… pretend that we

never happened. Onegai Naruto, just give up on me. We are not meant for

each other. I'm sure you will find another, as will I.

Sincerely, Hinata Hyuuga

Crap. Was the guard serious? It was just too much for the young blonde to believe. He began to sob as he thought about his love, and couldn't believe that she wrote what was written on the paper. "It has to be a set up… It just has to be. Today she was just… and now this… I can't loose her". His sobs quieted and he picked up his keys before getting up.

Crying was not solving anything, and laying in the hallway wasn't much help either. The boy had a hard time getting the keys to fit in the hole because his hands wouldn't stop trembling. He managed to stumble his way to bed. As if his arms and legs had no energy he scooted his way to the edge and began to stare out the window, questioning the moon.

* * *

Hinata was beginning to come out of her hopeless state and inched her way towards the window.

The two young loves were now starring at the moon wondering why fate had been so cruel.

Both: "…why"

"Naruto-kun…" The gray-eyed girl whispered.

"Hinata…" moaned the cloudy-blue eyed boy.

Both: "But I still love you…"

Their eyes slowly closed as tears formed around their shut eyes. To both of them the moon had changed. Though it still remained the round and silver, to the two broken hearted youths it was just a gray orb than shone a vision of their past. They slept with no dream that night. Both drifted to slumber in completely darkness except for their faces, which was lit up by the moonlight.

* * *

**Changes since July 21: grammar, all of 'Ruto-kun' is changed back to Naruto-kun. I ended up hating that nickname lol, still love 'Nata though.**

**couldn't really do much against the angst. =/ i'll live  
**


	7. Coincidence And Fate

**July 25 2009**

**A little bit more editing. I let the plot stay but made some changes in Dialogue. Kyuubi is changed formal as i did with the last few chapters and i did my best to make Naruto seem... Naruto-ish. Other than that, it remained the same.  
**

* * *

Coincidence And Fate

It was less than ten hours since their world seemed to crash. The blond boy woke up like nothing happened, yet he did not weep, nor did he sob. He sat up with determined eyes and rubbed his face hard trying to wake himself hard.

'Whatever happened last night, I'm gonna in the bottom of it'. He walked over to the bathroom and began to stare at himself in the mirror. While looking at himself, trying to straighten out his face the most unsuspecting thing happened.

Suddenly, right where his face was, appeared at fox's head holding a devlish grin. **"Good Morning"**

"Gyahh!" The young blond jumped back out pure shock. He ended up slipping on a t-shirt and bashed his head on the towel rack as he descended to the floor.

"Oughhh… what the HELL was that about you damn fox!" He slowly got up and hesitantly checked if his face returned to normal in the mirror.

The Demon lord aloud himself a small chuckle. Who says almighty chakra beings didn't have a sense of humor. **"I wanted to try out some other means of communications"** He spoke in his usual manner.

"Baka-Kitsune! That scared the ramen out of me" The startled boy began splashing water in his face still mad that the bijuu for pulling such a stunt.

"**It was never my intention of startling you. Then again, perhaps it was for the best that I had. You seemed much too depressed last night"** He explained.

"How's that helpful! I slipped on my ass and bashed my head on the stupid rack, and that doesn't include you scaring me half to death Baka!" The injured blond gave out a loud sigh and headed of to the showers.

He came out and walked over to the closet. He pulled out a black shirt with a Konoha fire symble on the front. His blue azure eyes probed the floor for his beige cargo pants and found it near his bed. The blond quickly pulled them up and ran out the door.

He finally made his way to the academy wanting to talk to Hinata about the note. The door slid and he peered over to his seat and noticed that the seat next to his was empty. This was unusual considering Hinata was never late, yet today wasn't any normal day.

Slowly he made his way to his seat until, in the corner of his eyes, he saw midnight blue hair. He jolted his head towards the girl who seemed to look down.

'She changed seats… was she really serious about that note' As much as the young boy wanted to talk to her, confronting her now wouldn't be such a good idea. He took his seat and a familiar odor filled the empty seat. 'Ughh. What's that smell… Kiba!' He slowly turned his head to meet a wild looking boy starring back at him.

"Wsup Naruto" He gave a casual look, not even smiling. "Oh just ta let ya know, I switched seats with Hinata" The blue-eyed boy gave a confused look at the wild looking boy then looked away lowering his head onto the desk, chins up and arms rapped around his head.

'I guess she was serious about not wanting to see me… I have to find a way to talk to her' his head was still lowered which gave the wrong impression to Kiba.

Through the wild boy's eyes Naruto had his head laid down and arms wrapped as if to block his nose. He raised his arms discreetly and took a whiff of his armpit. 'I don't smell that bad… maybe I shouldn't of helped Hana with the dogs this morning' he looked away not feeling to embarrassed but slightly regretted talking a bath after helping out.

Across the room the lavender-eyed girl gazed at the young Uzumaki. 'So he really doesn't want to speak to me. Why else would he be trying to avoid me like this? Ohhh I want to speak with him so bad but I'm afraid he'll get mad at me…' she lowered her head to sulk some more.

Class went by regularly with the exception of a few loud comments that occasionally comes out from the hyper-active blond. Apparently no amount of maturity would be enough to completely heal him of all his loud-mouthness.

The boy was determined to talk to her lost love and made a pursuit of her out the door. He made his way out the door and saw a glimpse of what seemed to be dark blue hair. He ran towards the figure and reached out his hand to grab her shoulder. "Oi Hina… eh?" As the girl turned around he instantly realized she was not the girl he was looking for. For his sudden action he received a punch in his shoulder with deceptive strength behind it. The blond began to rub his arms until someone had bumped into him. He then realized it was Hinata but before he could say a word she apologized.

"Ahh… G-gomen Uzumaki-san" With that she ran of in the verge of tears. He was confused and disappointed at the same time.

'Uzumaki…san? She… she doesn't even call me by my first name anymore' His head lowered in defeat. 'What's going on? I have to talk to her… even if she doesn't want to I have to make her talk to me' He looked at his reflection and again saw a shocking site.

"Woahh… Kuso!" Some passer-byers began to look at him weirdly. He felt several eyes stare at him and began to laugh nervously as he rubbed the back of his head with one hand. 'Stupid fox!' He began walking down the hall towards the exit when the fox started to act up again. 'What do you want?' he spoke to the fox with an annoyed voice.

**"Leave her girl be for the moment"** His voice remained stoic as he predicted the boy's reaction.

'Leave her alone? What are you talking about! I have to talk to her' He was very aggravated by the bijuu's comment.

"**Just listen to me kit. That girl is too vulnerable to be confronted. Let her head clear, as you should too. Right now you need to focus on a different matter"** He right of course.

"Eh?" The boy didn't mean to say it out loud. 'What do you mean different matter? Don't you think this is important? Wait of course a heartless demon like you wouldn't understand!' He was pissed now, messing up his ability to think properly.

"**You would best take back your words. Even someone like I need offspring to continue my lineage and one would not achieve that goal without a mate. But aside that, your focus should be on preventing the theft of the forbidden scroll. Graduation is only a week away and you've seemed to have forgotten"** The fox's anger had risen seeing that the blond had been testing his patience.

'Oh… I kinda did. You think I should try to fail and do the whole help Mizuki thing? I mean that way I have an alibi to use Kage Bunshin no Jutsu openly.' He turned the corner to an empty alley and leaned against a wall.

"**No… it won't work. It would be rather suspicious for a high ranking student like yourself to fail a simple academy test. Think of another way"** He also leaned against a wall in his cage unknowingly mimicking the blond.

"Kuso… how the hell am I supposed to stop him then? Do I just beat him up when I see him?" Naruto had been completely sarcastic at the moment but the fox found this somewhat enlightening.

"**Perhaps… if he's after the scroll simply confront him. Though I'd advise you to keep on you guise." **The Kyuubi wanted to clarify since Naruto had been acting slow recently.

He jumped off the wall and on to the roof while thinking if the plan was plausible. "Hmm… alright. I'll wait for him to snatch the scroll then pummel him to the ground! Even if I'm stuck fighting him like an academy student, I'll definitely kick his ass. This might be even better than your river plan" the blond made a foxy grin as he jumped from roof to roof mentally planning out the attack.

* * *

The rest of the week went by slow, mostly for the sad couple. The depressed blond attempted to approach the lavender-eyed girl but ended up in her running away at the site of him. She too also tried to approach him but for horrible coincidences forced the Hyuuga to believe he had hated her.

Four days ago Kiba had pelted Naruto with a rubber band just as Hinata walked into the room. Sadly Kiba had hid under a desk right in front of Hinata as to accidentally receive a scowl from the blue-eyed boy. She turned around quickly and high-tailed to her seat to soon to not notice that he immediately took back the scowl.

Two days later, Naruto bought some Konoha BBQ chips from Ichiraku to bring to school. Choji smelled the heavenly aroma of grease and artificial flavoring then began to bug Naruto about letting him have a bite. After the seventh time asking he was fed up seeing the chubby boy having eaten half the bag, but that was when Hinata bravely approached him from behind but only to be shooed away. "Haven't you had enough? Dammit, leave me alone!" The young blond thought it was Choji but when he turned around saw a blur leaving trails of tears. "Wow. I didn't think Choji would cry over this… better by him a bag to apologize with". The two had fate as enemies leaving the impression to both of them that neither wanted to talk to each other.

"Uzumaki Naruto" a tanned man with a scar on his nose and tightly pulled ponytail had called him over to the front of the class. He made his way down the aisle and tilted his head trying to catch a glimpse of the lavender-eyed girl who had her head hung low and stared at the soon to be shinobi from behind her jacket. "Ah, Naruto glad to see you here. Are you ready?" the tanned man asked.

The active blond simply nodded. "Of course Iruka-sensei" He gave a foxy grin that felt empty seeing that he was still in a bummer mood.

"Alright, well could you please show us a bunshin?" The boy knew he was going to ask that and easily made five Bunshins. "Good as expected from you", both Iruka and Mizuki smiled at Naruto as he smile back, one for Iruka for helping passing him and one for Mizuki because he knew he'll be the one to beat up the white haired freak later that night.

They all left the Academy with wide smiles and leaf embedded Hitai-ate except for a certain couple that had put on weak, but still fake, smiles. Naruto didn't have anyone to celebrate with, so he just headed home by himself. Hinata looked at everyone smiling and hugging their parents then saw Naruto walk by himself. 'Oh Naruto-kun… why would you want to be alone. I wish you would just let me be there to comfort you' Her thoughts were disrupted by the presence of a Hyuuga branch member who came to congratulate her and escort her home. Her father had no such time to congratulate his daughter and would not have done so anyways.

The lonely boy got back to his apartment to pick up a couple supplies mainly several Kunais, a pouch filled with shuriken and some rope. Once fully prepared, the blond leapt onto a nearby roof and made his way to the Hokage Tower.

He settled into a rooftop where he had a clear view of the tower and anyone as well as everyone who passes by. Night had fallen and a dark figure slipped through a window landing on a tree branch. 'There!' Just like that he jumped of the roof and made his way onto the street. "Oi! Mizuki-san. Why are you wearing a mask?" The witty blond confronted the Chuunin.

The startled shin obi lowered his mask revealing a confused face. "You recognized me? Well that doesn't matter you came at the worst time and sadly I can't let you leave here alive" The white-haired man pulled out his Kunai and charged at the new Genin. Naruto, however was not impressed and walked towards the overconfident Chuunin in a nonchalant way. 'Stupid kid walking towards me like that, better take him out quick' He was close enough to Naruto and took his chance to swing at the boy's chest. Naruto effortlessly bent down all the way and stopped his fall by bringing his hands below him, then kicked away the Kunai with his right leg, following with a quick to his face ending in a back hand spring to a crouching position.

"Heh your not so tough" The kid smirked which infuriated the older guy. He had enough of playing around and quickly jumped away while throwing a few Shuriken. The blond easily dodged. Another figure came and turned the corner.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" He keenly observed the environment. The pony-tailed man saw several Shuriken on stuck on the ground and walls then a Kunai in the ground and hand of the loud-mouth child. The boy just looked at him partially surprised by how fate worked. The situation had completely changed yet there stood Iruka.

A voice echoed from the roof. "Ah. Iruka-sempai… I see the boy brought back-up" The white-haired man chuckled creepily.

The tanned man turned his head towards the young blond. "Naruto what's going on? Why is Mizuki here?" He had so many questions to ask the Genin.

"Well Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-teme came out of the Hokage Tower then attacked me saying _'I can't let you leave here alive'_ but I kicked him in the face and now he's really mad" He began gasping for air having said it all in one breath.

The traitor Chuunin was irritated in the situation and threw several more Shuriken. Iruka and Naruto separated to avoid the attack and made their way to the roof. Naruto saw an opening and stabbed the white-haired man in the side, but to his surprise it puffed into a log. "Naruto!" the young blond quickly turned around to see the pony-tailed man hovering over him with a Large Shuriken on his back.

"Iruka-sensei!" he looked at his mentor with horror in his eyes filled with Déjà vu.

He looked back at Naruto holding on to his shoulders for support, "You alright Naruto?" He gave a small grin as he fell to his knees.

"Kuso! I'm gonna make you pay for this!" Though blond ran towards the traitor with flaming azure eyes. The Chuunin gave a simple smirk and led Naruto towards the forest. He was in hot pursuit until he suddenly lost track of the white-haired man.

A familiar voice was heard behind the young boy. "Naruto! C'mon we have to report this. We can chase him la…" He was interrupted by a pair of feet that dropped kicked him in his chest hurling him into a tree. "Naruto… why? How did you know I wasn't Iruka?"

Suddenly a puff of smoke came between the two combatants, "I'm Iruka". This made the scroll stealer chuckle as he charged the injured man with another Large Shuriken. Losing his gaze on Naruto he readied to kill the pony-tailed man but was stopped by a Kunai attached to a rope which rapped around his feet causing him to fall. Iruka grabbed the Large Shuriken that slipped from his fingers and jammed it towards the traitor's head which trapped him between the blades.

"Don't mess with Iruka-sensei" The blond murmured as he began to hog tie the white haired man before hitting him in the head with the blunt side of the Kunai knocking him unconscious.

"Good job Naruto" The instructor smiled while wincing in pain from the stab wound. He pulled the Large Shuriken from the ground and tossed it aside as to pick up the unconscious Chuunin. As he was picked up, Iruka took the large scroll off his back and gave it to Naruto to hold. "Here, hold this for me." The blond nodded as they walked back to the Hokage Tower. On the way Naruto took the time to look at the scroll trying to memorize some jutsus he saw besides Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

The two finally made their way to the Hokage Tower and left Mizuki to the hands of some Chuunins that later brought him to Ibiki. "Alright Naruto lets go report to the sandaime" He gave a reassuring smile as he led him up the stares.

Naruto gulped worried at what might happen 'Hey Kyuubi what should I do? I mean should I tell the old man what happened or what's _really_ happening?'

The grumpy foxed growled at the boy for disturbing his peace, **"Well Kit. You trust him don't you? I think it'll be good to have some help and advise from a Hokage"** he settled down a bit and lay his head on the floor. He was still unsure what to do but knew this would be the best and maybe only chance he had to tell Sarutobi about his past and his personal mission to protect the village and the Sandaime from the Chuunin Exam incident.

"Well here we are Naruto. Let's go tell him about your heroics shall we?" His smile hadn't left as he was too proud of his pupil to relieve it.

'All right It's now or never gulp'

* * *

**Probably edit a few more chaps then start writing again**


	8. Different Path Same Destination

**JULY 25 2009**

**Brief superficial editing, Kyuubi dialogue, grammar etc.  
**

* * *

'All right, It's now or never gulp'

Two giant wooden doors opened slowly revealing a fairly large office. Bookshelves stretched, covered the tan colored walls, only to stop as it hit the edges of the over-sized windows behind the Hokage's desk. Sitting behind it was the Sandaime himself, wearing the traditional Hokage outfit, robe and all except for his hat, which was placed at the end of the desk at the only spot that wasn't pilled with paperwork.

The old man peered into the doorway to see two figures approaching. 'Ah finally, a break from all this'. He slowly stood up from his seat as he rested his hands on the desk for support. "Iruka, Naruto, I hear you have some news to report?" The old man was well aware of the situation but was always glad to hear the young blond boast his accomplishments.

The pony-tailed man gave a little nudge to Naruto. "Naruto, why don't you go ahead and explain the situation while I go get _this_ treated" The Chuunin pointed at his back, looked at the Hokage and bowed. "Excuse me Hokage-sama, I'll leave the report to Naruto while I get my injuries treated". Sarutobi nodded as his eyes began to focus back onto the blond.

The young boy immediately perked up and jumped in front as his former sensei walked out of the room. "You betcha!" He rubbed the space under his nose with his index finger while letting out a foxy grin.

The Sandaime simply smiled at the young boys exuberance. "Well, go on" He sat back down on his seat, folded his hands as he rested it under his chin waiting to hear the blond's tail.

The Jinchuuriki took a few steps forward and gave a wild smile before nodding, signaling his ready. He began to tell the Hokage all about how he found Mizuki jumping out of the Hokage Tower's window and attacked him. He continued to tell the senior about Mizuki's attempt to hurt the blond as he hurled the Large Shuriken at him, but was saved by Iruka, which explains the scar-nosed man's earlier injuries. He concluded by pointing at the scroll that was perched on the chair near the entrance clarifying that the traitor had attempted to steal it. The Sandaime acceptingly nodded then walked out of his chair in front of the newly appointed genin.

The old man put his hand on his shoulders and gave a reassuring smile. "Very well done Naruto. I will make sure to pay you for completing a B-rank mission" The blue-eyed boy's jaw dropped in hearing of his reward. "Apprehending a missing-nin as well as preventing the scroll of sealing from getting into enemy hands is very well worth a payment of a B-rank payment"

The excited blond jumped backed and screamed, "Yosh! Arigato Oji-san! I wasn't even expecting anything." His laughter was put to a sudden halt by Sarutobi's next statement.

"But Naruto, are you sure that's all you want to tell me? There isn't anything else on your mind?" The young boy hung his head slowly, his face revealed emotions of worry, anxiety, depression, and regret. The Hokage was suspicious of the young blond's early success, though very proud; he had an odd feeling of worry towards the boy.

There was no running from this now. This was his best chance in telling him what's going on and he knew he was the best person, aside from Hinata, to tell. 'Hey Kyuubi… I think I should tell him.

The fox put on a smug face not visible to the blond. **"Didn't I tell you earlier you should? He'll be a great help in the long run."** The boy thought about it for a bit then looked back at the old man who was giving him a curious look.

The boy raised his head then took a quick glimpse at the corner of his office before looking back at Sarutobi. "Ano… I can't say it right now" The old man knew exactly what he was talking about thus turned his head in the direction of the corner. He raised his hands and motioned the empty spot to come forward. A poof of smoke came about and a figure stepped forward wearing a shocked face.

"How did he notice me?" He grumbled something under his breath, slightly frustrated at being spotted by a fresh genin.

"Looks like your getting rusty. As an ANBU officer, one should be able to mask his presence to all, especially to shinobis as green as Naruto" He had one finger held in the air as he lectured the experienced ANBU. This caused the young blond to snicker. The old man the gave a nod to the nin soon letting him vanish leaving a dispersing fog of smoke behind. His attention went back to the young blond who had replaced his smile with a more solemn face. "Ok Naruto go ahead and tell me what's going on with you" The old man led the boy to the front of his desk as both took their respective seats. "Well?" Sarutobi asked as he sat back.

"Hai. Well what I'm about to tell you is completely true. Please let me explain everything before you ask any questioins." He spoke to the leader with a mature and serious face. The old man nodded signaling Naruto to began his explanation. He began his explanation, getting up every once in a while to show his necklace and demonstrate a few jutsus, which meant his Rasengan, he learned in his past. By the end of his _long_ tale, the Hokage simply nodded. His eyes were closed and his arms were crossed yet gave the boy a look showing he was utterly focused on the story.

He stood up from his chair and walked around the table stopping once he was in front of the blond. "This is a lot to take in such a short amount of time. And your story seems to be a bit far-fetched, regardless, your proof is rather undeniable so… I believe you". A sparkle began to expose itself upon the young Genin's eyes.

"You do? That's great 'cuz there's a whole bunch of things you need to know." This caused the old man's eyebrow to shoot up. Despite that, Naruto began to tell him all about what happened in the Chuunin Exam, which caused the Old man to flinch. The boy then continued to tell him about Sasuke and Orochimaru as well as Akatsuki. The two spent the next half hour talking about Naruto's past as well as his plans to stop such disasters. By the end of it Sarutobi reclaimed his calm self and nodded at the young boy. "I understand completely Naruto, by the way have you told anybody else about all this?" The young boy nodded and replied with the name Hyuuga Hinata. The Sandaime suspected this but trusted Naruto's decision. "That is all then. I applaud you in your efforts and you know you can always come to me for help" The boy sat up and gave a sincere smile.

"I know Oji-san Arigato. I should be going now anyways" He bowed respectively and made for the door. Once he was out the old man reached for a seal on his desk and channeled chakra through it.

'It sounds like the best way for Naruto to do this is if things were as close to his past as it was. Hopefully it'll be easier for him to change... Minato, you'd be proud of you son if you were here.' he thought half smiling and half frowning, something only he could pull of. Suddenly a poof of smoke came and a former ANBU member appeared.

The Jounin walked out of the gray cloud stepping in front of the Hokage's desk. "Kakashi, I have a favor to ask you"

* * *

The next day the young blond woke up feeling a lot better that he had been since the break-up with Hinata. Today was the day that he was assigned his Genin team and Jounin instructor. He quickly put on his clothes as he jumped onto a nearby roof pondering whose team he will be in. He missed team 7 and would like to be put in there, but considering that he was no longer dead last in the class, the possibility of putting the two highest ranking Shinobis in the class in the same team was a bit off. He then thought about the possibility of being put in the same team with Hinata. Surely that would give him the opportunity to talk with the lavender-eyed girl.

As he made his way into the classroom he found an all too familiar seat right next to Sasuke. He made his way to sit next to his former teammate when an inauspicious voice stirred in his head. **"Do you wish to repeat the moment of intimacy with that boy?"** The young blond flinched at his comment then began to yell back in his head.

"Shut up you ero-fox! What the hell are you thinking!" his flustered appearance didn't go unnoticed to the surrounding people. A certain dog loving Genin watched his fellow classmate space out and made an attempt to bring him back to earth.

"Earth to Baka! Wake up" The wild-looking boy made his way to the spaced-out blond and gave him a strong pad on the back. This threw the young boy out of balance as he clumsily stumbled his way into the crowd. Regrettably a pair of lips, which caught his, stopped his fall. The owner of the said pair of lips was none other than a fellow blonde Kunoichi. Both blondes snapped their eyes wide open looking at each other beginning to blush. Among the giggling girls stood a pair of lavender eyes that had fixed itself on the public display of affection made by the two blonds. They two stood there not moving until the sound of a loud thud brought them back to reality. The male blond instantly jumped back, his face redder than a six-year old drinking hot sauce. The other blonde was no better. The young boy remembered the sound that broke the kiss and then focused his eyes on the frail looking girl lying on the floor.

"So Ino, guess that means Sasuke's mine. Naruto's not bad, I think you'd look good together" The pink-haired girl gave a teasing smile as she made her way towards the empty seat next to the dark-haired boy. The blonde girl was too embarrassed to think of a insult so she angrily glared at the green-eyed Kunoichi and made her way pass the group of giggling Genins and took an empty seat.

Naruto in the other hand rushed towards his fallen love. "Hinata-chan! Crap, please wake-up" his attempt to shake her awake were futile. 'Oh Kami, please tell me she didn't see that! As if things could get any worse she sees this…' His thoughts were stopped by a familiar presence hovering the two.

A scar-nosed man looked down on the two with both worry and confusion. "Naruto? What's going on?" Oddly enough, the man was used to this kind of idiocracy. Class was usually in a state of havoc whenever he leaves the room, "Yare yare, just put her down in one of those seats and let her rest until she wakes up. The young blonde sat her on the nearest chair and let her body lean onto the table. He pulled out a chair and was ready to sit until his inner demon began to stir.

"**Hey kit, you really think that's a good idea? I doubt she'd want to talk to you right after seeing you kiss another girl."** He explained to the blond Genin but found it difficult to convince him.

He frowned inwardly at the fox's suggestion, 'What! If I leave her alone she'll think I like Ino! INO! No way I'd let that little misunderstanding slide by!' he physically folded his arms while his eyes were closed still focused in his mental conversation.

"**Or she may wake up seeing you and faint… again"** the age old fox was pretty frustrated at his host's denseness. **'I swear if the damn kid uses his brains more often I wouldn't have to waist my time explaining things to him…Kami-sama, sometimes its too much even for me to take care of him..."** The blond felt a poke in his pride as he knew the fox was right. Slowly he got up from his seat, eyes still focused on Hinata, and made his way to the only available seat next to the pink-haired Kunoichi.

A bit behind him, the other blonde was wrapped-up in the events that had just taken place. 'He… he kissed me. That Baka kissed me! How dare him steal my first kiss that was _Supposed_ to be reserved for Sasuke-kun. Well It's not like he's a bad guy, wait NO! What am I thinking? Well he is pretty strong, and not always dumb, and he's not ugly… ugh. Sakura your gonna pay for this' She began to grumble while giving the pink-haired fan girl a death glare.

Across the room a certain Hyuuga had just woken up. 'Oh… what a nightmare. I dreamt that Naruto-kun left me for Ino…' Her gaze haphazardly fell upon a red-face Ino, who's face was mistaken for a blush instead of frustration. The soft lavender eyes followed the blonde girl's line of sight sadly landing on her lost love who was sitting next to the blonde girls real target. His face was also red from frustration, and again the frail girl had mistaken it with a blush. 'N-nani? Th-they're blushing. Did Naruto-kun move on? No he would never… would he?' She was on the verge of tears as she through her head down onto the table to mask her drowning eyes.

"Okay, today you will all be getting you Jounin instructors" The pony tailed man spoke as several Jounin walked into the room. "Listen carefully as I read you names aloud assigning you to you teams. Team 1..." The blond's attention was not to attached to the scar-nosed instructor. All he could think about was talking to the lavender-eyed girl. He made several attempts to look at her but each time failed to make any eye contact. "Next team seven, Uzumaki Naruto" This caught his attention instantly.

His hands fell to his sided hidden under the desk with all his fingers crossed. 'please say Hinata, please say Hinata, oh Kami _pleeease _tell say Hinata!' his chant continued as he heard the next name said.

"Haruno Sakura" this hurt both Naruto and Hinata, both secretly wanting to be put in the same team.

Inside the pink-haired girl's head, she was also hurt for the chances of being with Sasuke lessened greatly. 'C'mon Sasuke, C'mon Sasuke, _please_ let it be Sasuke…' her fingers were also crossed as her eyes were completely focused on Iruka's mouth.

"and… Uchiha Sasuke" a small smirk came out of the instructor's words.

"YOSH! Hear that Ino-pig!" She stood up at hearing the news then stuck her tongue out at the blond. 'What luck! I get to be together with my Sasuke-kun and the other highest ranking Genin in the class.' Her grin couldn't be wider as she openly admired her crush.

Inside Naruto's head he was more confused then excited. "Nani? Not that I'm mad or anything but why am I in the same team as these guys" his comment went well as an insult to the pink kunoichi.

"Oi! What's your problem baka. Are we not good enough for you or something!" the green-eyed girl was fuming while her fist shook madly at the blond sitting next to her.

"N-no that's not what I meant. I was just pointing out that it might not be fair if both me and Sasuke was put in the same team" his argument was supported by another blond.

"Yeah! I agree, why can't I be with Sasuke and forehead could get someone else." The bickering only grew between the girls as the starter of the argument sunk into his seat realizing all his hopes in being with the dark blue-haired girl was well out the window.

The pony tailed Chuunin began to quiet the room down as he tried to explain himself. "Calm down, calm down. The reason why you were put in that team, Naruto, was because your Jounin instructor insisted you were put in his team. Otherwise you would have been paired up with… Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata" Both blue and lavender-eyed teens instantly shot up upon hearing who their teammates would have been if fate were nicer. Then just as fast they sunk down in defeat.

'Kuso… why the hell did Kakashi want me in his team anyway!' The Chuunin instructor continued listing the teams with Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino in team eight. In team ten was Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji. Once they were all assigned their teams and respective Jounin instructors, they left the room leaving team seven to wait for their missing leader. "Sorry, but it looks like your instructor isn't hear yet. I'll let you guys stay here and wait for him" The scar-nosed man exited the room leaving the three teens behind.

As soon as their former sensei left, the blond rose to his feet and headed for the exit. "Mate! Where're you going? We're supposed to wait for our instructor remember?" She gave a slight glare at the blond but was completely ignored.

"I doubt he'll be here anytime soon, anyways I'm sure you'd want to be alone with him" He made a smirk as a blush began to form on the Kunoichi's face. Before any other attempt to stop him was made he soon exited the door on his way to look for the lavender-eyed princess.

After searching for about an hour he finally found her with the rest of her team. They were in the process of introducing each other to their new teammates and leader. "Okay dear, your turn" the red-eyed women sat down motioning the young girl to stand up.

"Hai. I'm H-Hyuuga Hinata. I like reading and…" a image of Naruto suddenly flashed in her head. "…well I don't really dis-like anything. My ambitions is… well it used to be, but I don't know now." 'My dream was to be with Naruto-kun, but I don't know how to even talk to him anymore' She couldn't say what she felt so instead sadly sat back down and averted her gaze.

Near a wall, the blond happened to hear what the poor girl was saying and knew what she was trying to say. 'So she doesn't even know about her own future? Is she talking about me? Gah if she was alone I would be talking to her by now!' letting out a sigh of regret, he made his way back to the academy knowing his chances of talking to her today was slim to none.

Finally stepping back inside he could see that Kakashi has yet to arrive. The blond slyly made his way to the chalk board and grabbed the powder-bomb in form of an eraser. He rested the eraser at the top crack of the sliding door making it so it'd fall onto the next person to slide the door open. "Naruto! What are you doing! Your gonna get us all in trouble."

The blond shrugged of the comment replying with a tough scowl, "I want revenge!"

"What for being late?" the pink-haired girl gave a curious eye towards her new teammate.

"Eh? Oh yeah, right, being late" The girl's stare left him as she sat her head down giving of a bored vibe. 'Phew, close call' the next sound heard caused snickers to all those present. The door slid open and a head popped in just as the chalk bomb fell smacking the one-eyed man on the head.

The young Uchiha raised an eyebrow while the edges of his smile curled in form of a smirk. "And _that's_ our Jounin instructor?" his statement rolled with sarcasm.

The gray-haired man immediately brought his sight down towards the blond prankster. "Naruto!" an angry scowl crawled onto his masked face. "First impression of the team… I don't like you guys. Well let's go, we'll talk more outside, it feels a little to stuffy in here" The four walked out of the room and stopped at a rooftop. They sat on a nearby set of stairs as they began their introductions. "Okay well anyone volunteer?" no one moved a muscle as the seemed a bit mad at their sensei for being a tad late. "Well, I guess I'll go first. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have likes and dislikes. I also have dreams and some hobbies. All right… your turn, girl with the pink hair. The gray-haired sensei signaled her to stand up.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. My likes are… well who is like is…. My future is well…" The one-eyed Jounin let out an inward sigh question the motives of his students. "What I hate is immature showoffy jerks!"

The blond decided to cut in, "Oh? But I thought you liked Sasuke, Sakura?" he made a foxy grin pretending he was dense.

"I meant you Baka!" the pink-haired girl yelled, earning a small chuckle from Kakashi. This didn't hurt Naruto as much as it used to so he responded by crossing his arms and leaning back casually.

"Ok, Ok, Next you" The instructor pointed to the dark-haired boy.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike many things, and there's little I like. My ambition is to revive my clan's respect and kill a certain man." This was smack to the face for the young blond.

The blond just looked at the boy wanting to say something but held it all in. 'Sorry Sasuke... i really am. But i promise i'll make sure you'll end up with a happy ending... hopefully i can do that with everyone' he was a bit quieter after that, thus caught the attention of his new sensei.

"Well now Naruto, why don't you go next, oh and congratulations in completing a B-rank mission" this caused the two Genins listening to nearly drop their jaw.

"Nani? When did this baka go on a B-rank mission? You just made Genin yesterday!" the pink haired girl was more shocked than mad and she held a hint of jealousy.

Even the always-calm Sasuke was a bit peeved and suspicious of the boy. 'How did this punk get assigned a B-rank mission? There's something wrong with him, and I intend to find out what it is'

All that talk surely got him out of the dumps... or atleast gave him time to put on his mask before repling, "Haha, thanks Kakashi-sensei. It wasn't really anything; me and Iruka-sensei just took out Mizuki-teme and brought back some scroll. I didn't expect the old man to pay me for the mission" he gave the sensei a foxy grin while trying to ignore his teammates' glares of suspicion.

The pink-haired girl crossed her arms and began to put on a smug, "Hmph, sounds like Iruka-sensei did all the work and generously shared the spoils. Its really not nice to take credit from other people's achievements ya know"

This caused the blond boy to pout at the comment. "Well anyways, as I was saying. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, training, learning jutsus. I hate waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook. And my goal is to become Hokage and be acknowledged by the whole village"

The gray-haired Jounin stood up getting ready to leave. "Ok that's enough. Meet me at training ground seven at seven O'clock. Skip breakfast and don't be late. Ja ne" With a puff of smoke, the Jounin sensei vanished.

With the instructor gone, the team went their separate ways each having their own things on their mind.

'We can't fail, this is my best chance to be with Sasuke-kun' the Haruno girl thought.

'It's impossible for a new Genin to accomplish a B-rank mission. There's definitely something wrong with him' the young Uchiha judged.

'Heh, this is gonna be easy. I wonder if he notices if I ate or not?'

* * *

**Not Hyuga, Hyuuga**

**Not Chunin, Chuunin**

**Not Nikawa or Kyubi, Kyuubi**

**The only reason you can spell it with one 'U' is when you spell it like this "Hyūga" or "Chūnin" or even "Kyūbi"**

**Anbu is not a rank, it's a division of Chuunin and Jounin**

**If Sasuke is 'The Sauce' and Naruto is 'Fish Cakes' what's Sakura?  
**

**That's all for now  
**


	9. Silent Kai

**JULY 25 2009 (Same touch ups as last chapters)**

**

* * *

**

**YEAH! Chapter 9 is up! Kwik thanks to my Beta 'The Mad Tsuchikage' for helpin me out.**

**Also THANX sooo much for all the reviews! You guys really spark my inspiration thus i made this chapter one of my longer ones ;) Keep reviewing.**

**Lastly if anyone figures out who the 'unknown' team is on the following cliffhanger, tell me in the review and i'll reward you by letting you add a couple you want (as long as it doesn't hurt NaruHina) or just ask what you want. As long it is reasonable i'll add it K. Well ENJOY!!**

(a/n- i made _Icha Icha Books_ vary in color by different volumes) - i didn't know all _Icha Icha books_ are orange (thnx Beta)

(a/n Kaenhira- blazing palm)

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto.**

* * *

Silent Kai

It was an early morning in Konoha. A very irritating alarm began ringing right next to our young hero. 'Kuso' with a clumsy swoop of his hands, the loud clock was knocked into the floor. The young blond decided to stick his head out of bed and look down to check the time. "Eh? It's almost seven? Heh, if I didn't know Kakashi-sensei would be late, I might actually be worried. Regardless of any excuse to stay in bed any longer, the sleepy Genin moseyed his way to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later he left the bathroom wide and awake with a towel wrapped around his waist. He quickly grabbed a red shirt, a white hoodie with two large stripes of orange and blue across the mid-section and baggy cargo pants, stuffed with Kunais and Shurikens, and headed out. It was too early to go to the training grounds knowing Kakashi won't show for another hour or so, so he decided to check-up on a certain somebody and see if her training has started.

After his mad dash the training grounds, where team eight had used in the past, he quickly heard sounds of what seemed to be barking. 'Kiba? Guess that means their 'test' already started'. The blue-eyed boy decided to take a closer look at what was going on and was surprised at what he heard.

"So where's Hinata? With her eyes you wouldn't expect her to get lost." the boy with glasses spoke.

"Dunno. I followed her saying something about a person up ahead but we ended up getting split up by a trap. Me and Akamaru nearly got shaved clean by those shuriken" the wild looking boy said.

The quiet Genin crossed his arms then spoke again, "Well we better find her before we continue. She might be in some trouble" the two teammates began running towards the direction she was headed. A certain blond happened to eavesdrop, but he found the information startling, 'Hinata!' The boy closed his eyes and tried to single out her Chakra signature. After a brief moment he sensed a familiar signature, 'Found you… please be ok'.

The boy jumped through and between the trees looking for the blue-haired girl. He finally made it to the edge of a clearing and found Hinata laying on the ground unconscious. "Hinata!" the blond ran to aid the damsel. "'Nata! Hinata-chan, wake up!" after a few shakes, he found his attempt useless, 'Hmm… no injuries… maybe a Genjutsu?' He took her head and gently placed it on her lap. He had missed her so much, her touch, her smell, her sight and the sound of her voice. All of it he needed. He felt starved of her, but he could only look. The boy swore to himself that he would have her again. The blond lowered his head to her face and silently spoke, "'Nata… just give me some time and I swear I'll fix this… all of it". The boy began storing chakra on his lips and gently gave the sleeping heiress a kiss on her forehead, in the midst, under his breath, he whispered, "…kai".

Suddenly from the edge of the clearing came two voices. "Hinata!… Hinata where are you!?" one yelled.

"She's here somewhere, my bugs can sense her" the other calmly stated.

This was his cue to leave. As much as he wanted to stay and attempt to talk to his sleeping love, he couldn't afford to get caught.

* * *

Under the Genjutsu, Hinata stood in the middle, of what she thought was the training grounds, alone. She frantically ran around, her Byakugan activated, trying to locate her friends. "Shino-san… Kiba-san…where is everybody?" She felt tired after running around and soon fell to the ground. "Why can't I find anybody… am I this weak? Is it because of me that we might be sent back to the academy? M-maybe… maybe Naruto-kun was right. I am w-weak" A vision of her nightmare began replaying in her mind. It was the night where she thought Naruto had broken up with her. It was her worst fear and it was real. She felt too weak to fight back her tears.

In midst of her sobbing she heard a voice, "Hinata!" It was faint but it sounded like someone was calling out to her. The lavender-eyed girl rose to her feet running to where she heard a voice. "'Nata! Hinata-chan…" The voice was still too faint to make out the words completely.

She had her eyes closed focusing solely on sound alone. The girl tried to recollect any and all people in her mind that had that same voice, but she could only think of one person. 'Naruto-kun…'

Her jogging turned into running. Soon, running became sprinting. The blue-haired girl moved as fast as she could, following that gentle voice. "'Nata… just give me some time… and I swear I'll fix this… all of this". The heiress couldn't help but tear-up. She could finally hear that sweet voice. The voice she'd been yearning to listen to. The one that sent goose bumps all over her body yet calmed her so. It was _his_ voice…

"Ruto-kun! Matte… I'm almost there just hold on…" she then felt a warm sensation on her forehead. It was pleasant and so nostalgic. As she took one hand to feel her forehead, the light was found at last, the light at the end of the tunnel surrounded in greenery.

She ran faster than she ever thought was possible, ink-blue bangs flew behind her. It was until the voice spoke again that she was encompassed in a bright warm light. Though it was spoken softly, it was heard clearly by the lavender-eyed princess, "…kai"

* * *

Two hands were shaking her body trying to bring back life. Her eyes slowly opened then her upper body shot up like a loaded spring. "'Naruto-kun!" Two pairs of eyes stared at her with a single eyebrow raised each. The young kunoichi hopeful was now sitting up straight, even though she was panting, she felt ok.

"Hinata… what happened?" The doglike boy looked at her curiously.

"A Genjutsu I think… b-but did you happen to see anyone else?" She could have sworn Naruto was here. His touch still tingled her forehead and his smell lingered around her.

"If you're talking about Naruto, then no. He should be somewhere taking his test as well. And neither I nor Kiba sensed anyone here besides you." This lowered the spirits of the poor girl. She had hoped it was Naruto that came to rescue her from the Genjutsu, the girl didn't even know how she would have escaped if he didn't come. Nevertheless they were still in the middle of their 'real' Genin exam and they had yet to find the bells their Jounin sensei had hidden with Genjutsu. They were to be specialists in tracking so this test was too test their skill.

Outside the clearing, a young blond hid himself in the trees while observing the examinees. He held his a finger over his lips then said, "Hmm… I missed that". His daydreams were cut short when he realized he may have spent too much time already and may be late to his own test. 'Well, better get this over with' He quickly jumped through the canopy, but went towards the local bookstore in the village before heading towards his teammates.

After twenty or so minutes, the blond found an irritated-looking Sasuke with a gawking Sakura by his side. "You're late Baka!" He gave a stiff glare towards the youthful twelve year old.

The young blond took a few steps forward then looked around in a goofy fashion. "I don't see Kakashi-sensei and the way I figure, I'm as early as the last person to show up, and since he's nowhere in sight I guess I'm right on time" he gave a wide grin as he leaned forward to display his smile. It was poorly received with a fist from the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Baka! What if he showed up before you got here? Did your genius brain think of that?" Her glare intensified as she noticed the blond seemed to care less.

His untroubled face turned to a smirk as she asked Sakura, "Heh, I didn't think you'd worry about me so much. Why didn't you just tell me you cared". Again his comment went ill received.

"I'm not worried about you, it's just that if you were late, then he might punish us all. As much as I hate to say it, were teammates now are we not?" She didn't need an answer as her long pink hair swished to where her face was.

As if on cue a puff of smoke appeared and from within came out a calm Kakashi. Everyone seemed to glare at the, once again, late Jounin. "I'm sorry. I must have been lost in the road…" the gray-haired man was cut-off by a smart-mouth blond.

"To the nearest Hentai store?" His witty comment earned a chuckle from his teammates.

The one-eyed instructor gave a strong cough to get everyone's attention before he continued. "First of all, no. Second, the newest volume just sold out" a small tear, just visible, formed on the rim of his one exposed eye. "Third if you're all done chatting lets get started with your Genin test"

Two out of three teens were a bit taken back. The only girl in the group stood up and questioned the information. "Ano, Kakashi-sensei. Aren't we Genin already? I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Well that's simple" the leader took something from his pocket and held it hidden in his hand. "You aren't Genin yet. This isn't just training; it's an opportunity to weed out the weaklings. By the way, we're only taking nine rookies so there's a two-thirds chance you will fail and be sent back to the academy"

Sasuke, for the first time today, lost his stoic face and replaced it with worry. Sakura felt a mix of anxiety, fear, anger, worry, and depression. Naruto remained un-phased in the inside but let out a nervous sweat drop trying not to stand out too much. "Well since no one seems to want to talk more, lets get started" he let whatever it was in his hands fall briefly before catching it by its string. "This is your test. Get these bells from me by noon. If not you don't get any of these two freshly made bentos" He waved his bell in the direction of the two boxed lunches and made his way towards the rock while tyeing the bells to his belt. "You will also go back to the academy, but you already know that. The test begins…now" the gray-haired man struck at a timer setting it off for noon. Quickly the three Genins flew out of the clearing hiding in the surrounding trees.

Naruto ran around to regroup his teammates. They meet under a large tree where they began to discuss their situation. Four hours, three members, two bells and bentos, one forced to be sent back. They decided to worry about that later and seeing no point in arguing now, the three grouped together as they devised a plan. After a few nods, an insult, and a head smack later they rummaged through the forest in search of their instructor.

The Jounin sat leisurely on the grass as he read his Icha Icha Paradise book. Behind him he heard the rustling of some bushes, and moments later, out came a dying Sakura. Her arms were nearly ripped up and her leg looked broken. She limped her way towards the Jounin crying and wincing while she held her right arm close to her. "Ka-Kakashi-se-sensei… attackers… they got Sasuke-kun" she fell to her knees, which soon was followed by the rest of her body. Her sob continued as the older leaf nin came to her aid.

Just as he reached towards the bloodied girl, he paused then took a step back. He made a single hand seal then released the Genjutsu. "Kai" the battered Sakura now appeared as healthy as ever. The Jounin gave a smirk to the girl who smiled back innocently. Before he could react Sasuke charged at the man's waist. Kakashi effortlessly dodged, swing his hips to protect the bells.

The dark-haired boy stood there, back turned to his instructor. With a raise of an arm, an green book appeared over his shoulder. "Looking for something sensei?" He tilted his head to reveal a cynical grin. The boy took out a kunai and prepared himself to cut-up the book, yet the Jounin-sensei seemed unmoved. "It's such a waste sensei, wouldn't you rather keep this book instead of those silly bells" Still the gray-haired shinobi remained to be phased.

"Go ahead Sasuke. You can keep that for your own pleasures" The man gave a wink to his student, which created a slight, but well hidden, blush, following a 'Hmph'. "Don't worry, I made sure to buy an extra copy. I learned that from dealing with Naruto" then out from under the ground Naruto popped up in hearing his name being called. Sasuke quickly tossed the book towards the smiling blond.

"All right Kakashi-sensei, how's about we read the last chapter?" the boy said with an evil smile attached to his face.

The one-eyed man smiled back at the boy then replied, "Well alright, I've already read that book a few times. I guess I wouldn't mind hearing it again". All hope seemed to have been lost to the other two Genin hopefuls, but Naruto kept his evil grin.

"Who said I was talking about this book?" The blond then pulled out a pink book with the words '_Icha Icha Volume VI_' written in the front. The once calmed Jounin was now wide-eyed in seeing the very book he failed in getting his hands on. "Now lets see… Chapter forty-two: The Final Moment" He began to clear his throat as he readied himself to read the perverted book all the while Kakashi was wincing as if in pain.

'_The man cried to his lover "Masaki! Please don't leave me! Stay here please… let me be the one to make you happy" The women suddenly turned around but to his surprise, two arms extended from behind her. He wrapped his arms around the beautiful women then began to speak. "Sorry Isshin, but it's what's best for her" this voice belonged to none other than Uru…'_

"OK! Alright… you guys win, just stop it already" Naruto began to smile a more gleeful grin and handed both books to his sensei, which received tears of joy in holding the newest release. After the team was regrouped and the man's tears were dry he continued. "Now you guys have to finish the last part of the test. You must decide which of you two will get the bells and which one will get the boot" The three members gave each other sad and disappointed looks. It was until the blond member to a step in front of the team.

He raised his head and opened his mouth; "Fine… then I Uzumaki Naruto… nominate Uchiha Sasuke to be the drop-out" two fists came cracking his skull at the comment.

"Baka-yaro! How can you even say such a thing to Sasuke-kun" The green-eyed girl let her glare on Naruto hold but was surprised by his next statement.

"Ittai! I was just joking Sakura! What I was going to say next is that we're a team and we shouldn't be forced to take selfish actions" This created a silence in the group, which was interrupted by the older ninja.

"Well, since no one seems to want these, I'll just keep them" Everyone became startled, even Naruto for thinking mentioning teamwork would be enough. "Because… you all pass!" He gave his students a happy smile as his visible eye turned into an arch.

"Yatta! I was actually worried there for a second" the blond said but was again interrupted by the gray-haired man.

He hushed the boy so he could continue speaking. "Don't think you can go celebrating now. As a new Genin team I'll make sure we have a mission by tomorrow so get resting" He waved to his team before vanishing through a haze of smoke. The rest of the team began walking towards the village

* * *

On their way they talked about what their mission might be while Sasuke replied with grunts. They saw two more new Genins walk their way, one with a dog on his head and the other bugs in his sleeve. "Kiba! Shino! How'd your test go?" asked the blond youth.

"Fine, we had some trouble but we managed" answered the stoic bug user.

"Ano… where's Hinata-chan?" The boy began turning his head around seeing if he could spot a head full of midnight-blue hair.

"Oh Hinata. Yeah she passed out earlier and the she said she'd go back to her place and rest I guess" the wild-looking boy replied.

The blue-eyed Genin was certainly disappointed, wanting to talk to his former love and be there to celebrate each other's promotion. "Hey I'll catch up with you guys later, I think I'm gonna head home too" He didn't fell like celebrating anymore seeing that Hinata didn't fell like it either. After waving good-bye to his friends and teammates he headed to his apartment.

Within minutes he was spread over his bed thinking many thoughts from today's adventure and future missions, but mostly he thought about a certain lavender-eyed Hyuuga. 'Hinata… there's gotta be a way where we could be together away from your stupid otou-san. Like a mission or something… there's no point if we're just gonna do D-rank missions and the only C-rank mission we're gonna do is…' His sudden realization got him jumping onto his seat. "That's it!" His smile soon faded remembering it would be a while until then. 'Kuso… just have to wait until then'. The young blond then walked towards his small table and pulled out a piece of letter paper. "Hmm… so I don't forget later…" after finishing the letter he laid back down in his bed and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since then and the three were at the training ground waiting for their always-late instructor. The hyperactive boy sat on top of the wooden pole, trying to suck up his pride to ask for help. "Oi! Sasuke!" the dark-haired boy turned his head to face the blond. "Ano… could you help me out with something?"

The dark haired boy looked at him with curiosity. "It better not be anything stupid" He watched the blue-eyed Genin jump off the pole. "So what is it?" his stare hadn't left him.

"Just wondering if you would teach me some fire Jutsu? I got down the affinity but I just don't know any yet… well besides my own, but its not perfect" He gave a wide grin and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

The Uchiha stared at him questioningly with eyes that held a hint of jealousy. "You made your own jutsu?" the boy only nodded which got both listeners curious. "I might teach you if you show me your jutsu" Naruto's azure eyes now shined with determination and joy.

"Deal! But remember its not done yet" the boy began to take a normal stance ready to perform a series of seals.

"Just hurry it up. If its stupid then you can just forget me teaching you anything" the dark-haired boy gave his teammate a smug impression in which was returned with a glare.

"Be patient and you'll see!" He made the necessary hand seal ending in tiger. The whiskered boy then said, "Kaenhira no Jutsu" flame then rose in his fingertips of both index. He quickly swung his arms apart, stopping at his sides now revealing that his palms were emitting a red glow. "See this is where I mess up, I'm trying to release an intense burst of heat when I attack, you know, kinda like Jyuken except with fire. But the problem is when I hit something it slowly burns instead of erupting in flames" Nevertheless both Genin stood there in awe at witnessing such an amazing jutsu. Sasuke felt a dent in his pride once again but felt a bit relieved that one, he hadn't completed it yet, and two he may learn the jutsu too and perhaps beat him in completing the desired effect. Though their thoughts ran, their mouths stayed still. It wasn't until the appearance of their sensei that the youths were awakened from their thoughts.

After another typical cloud of smoke appeared, their instructor Hatake Kakashi stepped out breathing the fresh air. "Well team I have great news. I've ju… What in Yondaime's name are you doing Naruto?" The boy was caught of guard and realized his palms were still glowing.

"Oh Kakashi-sensei! This is the jutsu I'm trying to develop but its not done yet and I can't seem to finish it. But anyways, you had good news?" The blond smirked in knowing what the news was.

"All right. I've managed to get you guys a C-rank mission" his speech continued in his head, 'well actually all of Naruto's nagging of the Hokage got us the mission but they'll be happy with either explanation' The hyperactive blond yelped in joy, while the pink-haired kunoichi smiled. Their dark-haired teammate simply smirked then leaned back carelessly.

"**Well Kit, it looks like your annoying personality finally paid off."** The fox began snickering in his cell.

'Shut up Kyuubi! I had to get this mission… well I was already going to go on it, but I had to ask the Hokage for a condition' the boy thought to himself so that only he and the Kyuubi would hear.

"**And what would that condition be?" **the fox inquired feeling it had to do something with the boy's personal gain.

'Its that…' His instructor then snapped Naruto out of his daze as he began to brief the team.

"Like I was saying… we are to meet at the Hokage's Tower at noon exactly. Don't be late!" He said but was retaliated by glares and comments about being hypocritical. Just as soon as he arrived, he left leaving three coughing Genin behind.

The blue-eyed shinobi walked out of the cloud and ran towards the edge of the clearing. "I think I'll meet you guys there, and Sasuke… you promised alright?. Ja ne" without waiting for a reply, the boy took off for the village.

"Where do you think he's going in such a rush?" the green-eyed girl asked.

"I'm not sure, but that kid does a lot of things we don't know, or anybody as a matter of fact.

On the other side of the village, the kyuubi container was already searching the area for his lavender-eyed prey making sure his plan was to be executed perfectly. To his disappointment Hinata was nowhere to be found, and neither Kiba nor Shino was seen. He had no choice but to ask the one person who seems to know all the gossip…Ino

The young boy walked into the Yamanaka Flower Shop and was greeted by a wonderful aroma of flowers but it didn't comfort him the same way Hinata's smell did. "Welcome to Yamanaka Flower Shop. How can I be of… oh it's just you. What do you want?" the blond pony-tailed girl changed her tone in seeing whom it was that entered.

The boy began to speak up trying not to be distracted from the variety of color and smell the surrounded the room. "Ano… I was wondering where Hinata w-… Shino and Kiba was?" the short-haired blond asked

The lighter blue-eyed kunoichi sighed and looked back at the white-hooded Naruto. "They have a mission, but they're out of the village right now. Is that all? You can at least buy something while you're here" She tried making money from her first, and so far, only customer of the day.

"Oh sure but I was wondering if your team had any missions today?" the boy hoped that their team hadn't had any missions either.

This questioned made the blond girl wonder of Naruto's intentions. 'Why is he asking me this? He's not trying to ask me out or something right? Ugh! I bet that billboard head got him into this. Hmm, I bet I can turn this to my advantage' She put on a slightly evil grin. "Actually no, but I'm sure Sakura is free today" He hoped the boy would try and ask out Sakura but found it wasn't the case.

"Nani? Uh no… We have a mission today I was just wondering if anyone else had missions. Well thanks anyways. Ja ne" The young shinobi rushed out of the store before Ino had the chance to interrogate him more... or at least sucker him into buying something.

Outside he strolled the streets ignoring the hateful glares and thinking to himself. 'Odd. I could have sworn I got Oji-san to send another Genin team to help, but it seems none of the other rookie teams are available. Maybe its some team outside our year?'

* * *

**So... Can you guys figure out who the team's going to be?? Muhahaha you better think really hard!! Make sure you're the first to review with the correct team and i'll reward you (details mentioned above).**

_ 7/17/08- ok i had enough people thinking its team Gai, so just to be fair im telling you now it **NOT** TEAM GAI. think outside the box. **ALSO** to all my reviewers, i gave them **HINTS** to who the team is, so if you **REALLY** want to **KNOW** then **REVIEW!!**_

**also did you get the bleach reference in the icha icha book? Masaki, Isshin, and uru..Uruhara Kisake! hehe.**

**If you guys are wondering which choice i made, LOOK IN THE REVIEWS!! obviously i chose... A!! you guys are soo impacient :P. well expect to get chap 10 up by the weekend. Hope you guys liked.**

7/19/08- OK im at 99 reviews so i decided to give my 100th reviewer a gift. SO BE THAT PERSON!!


	10. The Unexpected

**JULY 25 2009 (Same touch ups as last chapter)**

**Ok Sooo sorry for taking so long. But to make it up to you guys i made this chapter especially long. well at least made it my longest one to date. Also, sorry if my cliff hanger was too tricky, i updated later on saying it wasn't Team Gai... or is it? well you're about to see.**

**Anyways i just want to thank ALL my viewers especially those who are constantly reviewing (HoNdeR, Chewie Cookies, bluewarrior1917, Crystal shadow 7, GraityTheWizard, and the list goes on) as you can see i finally got into triple digits. Hinata223344 already recieved her prize as well as Nazuna KuroTsuki for being the first to guess the team right. well without further adieu, i give you chapter 10  
**

(a/n Daibakufu no Jutsu- Great Waterfall Technique)

quick revision. separated the paragraph chunks so its easier to read

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto.**

* * *

There was one team that was on his mind now. He hoped it wasn't true but had to make sure of it himself. The blond ran over to the training area, navigating through the trees he made his way to a clearing, able to hear familiar voices not too far away.

"YOSH! Another C-class mission. It is yet another opportunity for me to express my burning flames of youth", said a rather enthusiastic green-colored Genin. With him stood a kunoichi with brown hair tied into two buns. She looks at the geometrically-shape-faced Genin with both embarrassment and shame. Behind the rest was a cold-eyed Hyuuga acting even more smug then Sasuke.

Out of the blue, a voice came crashing down, "Dynamic Entry!!". A tall Jounin with wearing the same matching green spandex as his pupils and large eyebrows that put Lee to shame appeared before the team. All except the mini Gai, made a large sweat drop in witnessing their sensei's entrance.

"All right team, we have another mission. Get packing and we'll meet at the front gates. I have a feeling we'll do excellent!" the older instructor gave a thumbs up paired with cheesy grin.

The round-eyed boy rose to the front, "Yes Gai-sensei! And if we do not complete it with flying colors I will do four thousand push-ups!" the boy held his fist near his chest with determination.

The Jounin looked at his star pupil feeling that he could not have been any prouder, "And if you cannot do four-thousand push-ups, I will run five hundred laps around Konoha" His student looked to him with admiration.

"Gai-sensei!" he shouted

"Lee!" the Jounin cried

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!" The two now had their hands locked while tears streamed down their faces full of joy.

The brown haired girl clearly showed annoyance to the green male's antics. "If I hear another 'Lee! Gai-sensei! One more time I swear I'll throw-up", This got the two to quickly cease their name calling.

The older 'Green Beast of Konoha' stepped forward towards the girl, "Ten-Ten, you should not frown on Lee's determination and flaming passion of youth. It is also not fitting for such an ugly expression to be placed on a springtime beauty like yourself" Another giant sweat drop fell down the kunoichis forehead.

Hidden in the trees, Naruto sat on a branch clutching his head, "No… no, no, no, NO! Oh Kami, why did you have to pick super bushy brow's team?" The young blond nearly fell of the branch, to busy with his regret to pay attention. 'I don't hate any of them but Neji. I'm sure he knows about Hinata and me… kuso, not good! And poor Sakura… he's gonna be on her like Ino on Sasuke. Ten-Ten's alright but when Gai and Kakashi-sensei are together… something tells me that it won't be pleasant' He hastily fled out of the clearing and ran as fast as he could back to the village.

The blond had finally shook the thought of Gai and Lee complementing him on his abundance of springtime youth when he found his pink-haired teammate leaning against a wall apparently waiting for someone. "Oi Sakura. Watcha doin?" The girl glanced at the approaching boy.

"Eh? Oh Konnichiwa Naruto. I'm just looking for Sasuke-kun" She eased her gaze from the blond onto the floor.

The boy knew something was up. "Sakura, you really like Sasuke right?" he asked the girl receiving a stare that screamed 'duh'. "I could tell you right now that you have a better chance then anyone here" this caused her green eyes to sparkle.

"Really!? How do you know? Did he say something? Did he, DID HE?" her hands were grasped together as she leaned in listen to what he was about to say. Ironically the kunoichi was too excited to recognize the annoyed look the blond Genin gave.

He gently pushed the girls arms away and continued, "Ugh… if you would just let me finish, I'll tell you. But by the way you're acting right now I might be wrong"

The pink-haired Genin shot a glare to the blue-eyed boy. "And what does that supposed to mean Baka?" one hand was now rested on her hips while the other was shaking threateningly in front of Naruto.

He stood there un-phased by her threats. "What I meant was that you should stop acting like a fan girl and treat Sasuke like a normal person, then maybe he'll warm up to you. All you're doing is annoying him, and I'm sure that's not the first time you heard this." She could only look down from his statement knowing that it was true. He had told her he was annoying along with many other fan girls. "You know I'm right" the blond put on a smug face trying somewhat to annoy the girl.

"Urusai Baka! You don't know anything. I could stop being a fan girl right now and make Sasuke-kun like me" she made a loud 'hmph' sound then turned around.

A smirk came across the boy's face, "Oi Sasuke" the caught the attention of the _former_ fan girl.

"Sasuke? Where?" by the time she had figured it a lie, the blond Genin was already half way down the street. "Naruto you Baka!" the girl screamed with frustration.

He could only snicker at her obliviousness. "Didn't I just finish telling you to stop acting like a fan girl?" he yelled as to make his voice clear the distance. Already out of range for a physical attack he whispered, "Good luck Sakura, maybe if you get through him now, he won't be so jumpy to leave later". With that he ran off to Ichiraku for a bite.

The pink-haired kunoichi was still frustrated with Naruto that she swung at the wall blindly. Unknowing to her, a certain boy, object to her affection, was now standing next to her barely dodging her punch. "Look where you punch" the sudden sound startled the girl.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun, Gomen. I didn't know you were there" She tried to give an apologetic look, but what the blond said kept drifting around his head, 'Stop acting like a fan girl… maybe he'll warm up to you'. The dark-haired boy looked at her a bit annoyed.

"You were supposed to say you didn't know anyone was there. Don't make it sound like I was the only person you'd apologize to" his glare wasn't hard but it hurt her just the same.

Sakura was partially regretting what he said, 'Tch, so much for treating him normally. Why am I even listening to that baka?' she thought. Her inner voice then began to argue

"**It's because you know he's right. He's too cold to approach him like that. We have to get him to warm up to us then that's when we'll strike!"** said the inner Sakura.

Sasuke, however, felt weird watching her space out so decided to leave, "I'm going to go the tower now. You coming?" Sakura snapped out of her zoned state looking back at the dark-haired boy.

"**Now's are chance. Prove that you're not some mindless fan girl like that Ino-pig!"** The conscience Sakura agreed then shook her head at Sasuke.

"It's alright. I don't want to annoy you" She smirked inwardly hoping it would set something off.

The angsty boy looked at the kunoichi with a bit of confusion, 'That's odd. Normally she would agree then bug me the whole time. Why do I have the feeling Naruto has something to do with this?' He thought.

The girl however began regretting saying that. 'Crap what did I just do? I turned him down… I actually turned him down' before she had a chance to take it back he began to leave.

"Suit yourself. I'll see you later Sakura" Though he questioned her sudden change in personality, he felt relieved that she didn't act like a mindless boy hunter.

All her regret suddenly died. He had finally acknowledged her, though it was little, it meant a lot to the girl. 'He actually called me by name… oh Kami it worked! That idiot Naruto actually might be right!' the Haruno girl made the widest grin inwardly and later outwardly once he knew Sasuke was out of site. She was too giddy to remember that the whole point of waiting there was so she could ask Sasuke to hang out. Now she had nothing to do, 'Maybe I'll go catch up with Naruto' She took off to the direction he made knowing full well where he could find him.

Naruto had already arrived at Ichiraku and gone through three bowls in only a barely two minutes. He yelled his order at the old man he knew was somewhere in the back. "Hey Oji-san! A couple more bowls of miso and make it quick I'm kinda in a rush" He then heard something stumbling beyond the counter as a pretty young women came through the door.

"He'll be on it right away. So it's just you today?" the blond gave a quick nod. "What happened to that girl you bring a lot? I haven't seen her here for quite a while. Did you guys break up?" It hurt him to be reminded, but it was the truth. Before he could reply, a pink-haired girl popped her head into the stand.

"There you are Naruto. I was looking for you." She took her seat next to a somewhat depressed looking blond when she noticed the girl behind the counter starring at her.

"Oh I see. So you found yourself a new girlfriend huh? To bad I kinda liked the other one" The green-eyed Kunoichi wasted little time in correcting her.

"What me? I'm not his new girlfriend… matte, did you just say _new_ girlfriend?" The young girl then looked back at the boy quickly finishing his fourth bowl. "So… who's the girl Narutooo?"

He nearly chocked on the remaining noodles in his mouth. Only one word was on his mind at the moment, 'Shit!'. He quickly gained back his composure and answered her question calmly. "No one, nee-chan just likes to tease me a lot" he then shot a small glare at the beautiful apprentice.

She rolled her eyes back then looked bluntly at the boy, "Look Naruto, half the time you're hear she's with you. Don't say you don't like her" The blond put his empty bowl aside then looked down towards the counter.

He was still a bit depressed that she kept bugging him about it, 'Who said I didn't like her, technically we're not going out… anymore' he thought to himself. All of the sudden fear struck into him hearing the dreaded words coming from his fellow teammate.

"Oh Kami, I think I know who it is!" the young blond took a huge gulp. "I can't believe it. It's… Ino!" His head then came crashing down at the girl's crappy observation.

"INO! No, it's definetly not her!" he stated making sure that she wasn't about to spread that nasty rumor. The last thing he wanted was for people, especially Hinata, to think he liked Ino.

However the young pre-teen girl found it unconvincing until the apprentice backed him up.

"No he's telling the truth. I think her name was Hinata, right Naruto?" By now Naruto was chanting cuss words in his head while his teammate was in a less state of shock.

"Hinata? I should have known! I knew you guys liked each other. It was _so_ obvious, especially during the academy, not to mention you guys spent a lot of time together, more than I thought. But we haven't seen much of team eight lately" she carefully tapped her chin with her index finger trying to remember the last time they saw them.

Ayame heard her comment and decided to verbally put two and two together, "Ah, is that why you're so down Naruto-kun?" She received the reaction she was looking for which was a slight blush.

'Yes' but he couldn't say that. The young leaf nin's redness didn't last long as he tried to clear things up, "Look Sakura, Ayame-nee-chan, I'm fine see?" he made one of his typical foxy grins, but to close observers they could see how empty the smile really was. "Hey Oji-san, you think you can make the ramen to go? We have to get to the tower soon Sakura" trying to rid himself the conversation.

"Yeah I heard ya Naruto, it's all done. Had a feeling you'd want it to go" he smirked and handed the bag to Naruto.

"Thanks again for the food, Ja ne. C'mon Sakura, we're gonna be late" said the blond. The pink-haired girl pouted seeing clearly that Naruto was trying to avoid the situation. On their way to the Hokage Tower Naruto remembered that Sakura was looking for him. "So what did you want with me? Was it just to nag me about my personal life" He turned his head away, playfully acting smug.

The kunoichi made a 'hmph' sound then started, "No! I could care less, but… what I came to tell you was that… well you were right about Sasuke. I talked to him like a normal person would and he seemed nicer" her green eyes now sparkled thinking back at the moment.

Naruto in the other hand raised an eyebrow and stared at her, "Nicer? Try less cold", easily putting on a smirk, he got bopped on the head by a ticked off Sakura.

"Urusai, he's not cold, he's well… he's just not open" Sadly failing at an attempt to excuse Sasuke for his behavior. "Anyway I still want to know what happening between you and Hinata" she put her hands together behind her back and bent down attempting to look at his hidden face. "You guys aren't going out are you?" she sly spoke.

Her teasing was just plain annoying to the blue-eyed nin. "You're so nosey. Didn't you just say you could care less about my personal business?" He then put his hands behind his head feeling that he's winning the conversation.

"Who said I did, I-I'm just worried about Hinata. She _is_ my friend after all! So I want to know what going on with her, it just so happens that you have something to do with it. So just tell me, why aren't you guys together? Is it 'cause you act too immature, or that you eat too much ramen, or that you're loud and annoying" the green-eyed Genin continued her interrogation until she was interrupted by an unsuspected voice.

"It sounds like you're the one who's loud and annoying" the figure walked up behind them, going right past them to take the lead. His interference made a huge relief to the blond who gave a hidden smile. "If you guys are done, we need to be at the tower". For once in the boy's twenty-two years of living, Sasuke's cold attitude had finally paid off.

After a short walk, they found themselves in front of the tall building. The group walked to the Hokage's Office and found that their sensei was… already there. "Y-you're n-not late!" stuttered the blond out of honest shock.

The gray-haired Jounin looked back and gave his students a quick grin, "When was I ever?". This statement caused a great commotion to his team.

"YOU'RE ALWAYS LATE!" shouted both the blond and the bubblegum-haired girl. The angsty member sneered along with them.

The older nin simply brushed it off and turned back to Sarutobi. "Well, now that we have that in order, I would like to announce you your first C-rank mission" The old man noticed the sudden smiles along the entire groups face, receiving a simple smirk from Sasuke. "Yet due to some outside information, I must assign a fellow group in order to secure the success to this mission" before Naruto had the chance to ask who it was Sarutobi spoke, "You will rendezvous with your collaborative team on the east road just beyond Otafuku Gai. It will be then, that you will see who your teammates will be" This caused a sigh to escape from the blue-eyed boy. "As for your assignment, it is simply to escort a bridge builder to the land of waves" The Hokage stood up and handed the mission scroll to the Jounin in charge. "I trust that the collaborative team I chose should be fair, having the Byakugan should be a great asset" just hearing the words Byakugan stirred the blond's stomach jumping at the thought of the said person.

He began thinking of how they would interact imagining Neji leering at him, maybe saying something about fate or tainting the Hyuuga blood. His thoughts were interrupted by the foxes input, **"I'm sure it's nothing you can't endure. Physical harm shouldn't be a concern as long as there either of your sensei's are present"**

The fox believed him to be correct until the boy shrewdly answered back, 'I guess. Anyways, I'm used to being stuck with jerks all day, what's one more?' he received a stiff nod from the demon.

The overgrown fox raised an eyebrow, **"You still seem troubled"**

'It's just that this is the same jerk who almost killed his own cousin. If he did that to her, what would he do to me? He probably hates me just because I was with Hinata' It made the chakra monster chuckle at how smart the boy could be when he believes he is in some sort of danger.

"**Yes I see your point now, then its best that you avoid him for the most part. Still I doubt he would approach you the way you believe, the last time I remember, white eyes shared different opinions with the main branch"** The Bijuu tried to reason with the boy, annoyed with his unnecessary stress.

Before the young Uzumaki had a chance to disagree he was snapped out of his thoughts by his kunoichi teammate. "Oi! Weren't you listening? We're leaving, get packing and meet at the gates in thirty" the girl said as she dragged the out of mind boy by his back collar.

Within the said time limit, the team was packed and set. All were present except for the typically tardy instructor. After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, the scarecrow made his appearance in front of the tired looking bunch. "Well what are you guys waiting for? We're going to be late" His happy persona was of no use with the three sets of eyes glaring holes through him.

The walk towards the rendezvous point was either too loud or eerily quiet. The blue-eyed Genin refuse to answer or even reply to any prying the pink-haired kunoichi was doing by use of grunts and glares. Without words, he simply clearly stated it was not any of her business what went on about his personal life.

After several failed attempts in a marching song, the blond gave up, now thinking of what to do next. He knew up ahead, the Oni brothers were waiting for them. Walking silently, he debated on how he would beat up the annoying siblings. It didn't occur to him that their new associates would encounter them first.

Somewhere not to far from Team Seven's location, a small dog began whining while perched upon his owners head. "What's up Akamaru? Something wrong?" the owner questioned. In reaction, the dog barked and jumped of the said owner's head and quickly ran ahead. Following the dog came the owner as the rest of the team walked behind.

The wild looking boy found the pup peeing into a small puddle of, now tainted, water. "Heh Akamaru, if you need to pee, use the bushes like me" Kiba began walking towards a group, but before he was able to zip down his pants, a metal hook attached to a edged chain slashed to the tree next to him.

Hearing the sounds of chains flailing, the rest of Team eight rushed to aid their comrade. "Kiba!" yelled the Jounin trying to regroup her students. Cold red eyes met two figures, who introduced themselves as the Oni Brothers, Gouzu and Meizu. Within moments the opposing foes found themselves in the midst of battle.

Somewhere in the boy's gut, he had an eerie feeling that something was not right. He was not alone in his suspicion as his resident proved it. "**Do you sense that Kit? I believe our trap has sprung on the wrong group"**. The boy closed his eyes trying to sense who, or what was up ahead. Suddenly a slight breeze came from under his nose. A familiar scent rushed through his nerves, as a shockwave coursed through his body. For the first time in a long time, the boy felt… fear.

One word kept repeating in his mind, 'Hinata!'. As soon as the word slipped through his mouth he burst into an all out sprint towards the battleground.

This sudden act caught the Jounin off guard wondering what the blond was up to. "Oi Naruto! What's wrong?" by the time he got all the words out, the swift fox had already made his way far down the road. The only thing he heard as a reply was 'Trouble up ahead'. After a quick nod from the group, and a annoyed grumble from their employer, they chased the boy towards the site.

Not too long, the young Genin made it to his destination only to be in shock to see a unconscious Kiba laying on the ground next to a less injured Shino being patched by a gentle Hinata. Their instructor, Kurenai had Meizu under a powerful Genjutsu watching him clutching his sides sweating crazily. Then the thought occurred, where was the other Oni brother? "Kurenai-sensei, is everyone alright?" the pale girl suddenly shivered with excitement when she realized whom the voice was.

Her excitement then became mixed with worry, happiness, and a little bit of fear. 'Naruto-kun… it's you' she thought. Still unsure of her feeling she stood kneeling there quietly, not making any attempt to get the boy's attention.

"Yes we're fine now" was all she could manage to reply

The boy was still unsatisfied with the information, "But did you get them all? Isn't there more with him?" this caused the red-eyed women to stare at him, almost in shock

"Why yes, there was one more. But how did…" she was cut off as a kunai fly towards her. Using her great ninja reflexes, she avoided the first but failed to noticed the second, shadowing the first. It made only a small cut on the women's forearm, but caused her to lose focus, freeing the other Oni brother from the spell. But before anyone could notice the second brother recover again, the earlier attacker came once more with his chain.

By the time the chain reached towards the unbalanced Jounin, a pair of kunai threw the edged weapon out of course. Arriving just in time, Team Seven, mainly Sasuke, jumped into the battle and tried to subdue his opponent. "Shit, more of those Konoha brats!" cursed the older Mist Nin.

Before he had time to jump back, the dark-haired boy threw several shuriken, which were easily blocked with his claw-like gauntlet. Unknown to him, a certain blond was behind him ready to strike his opponent. Without warning, the loudmouth Genin threw several kicks towards his opponent, sending him into the air. Ready to try out his new jutsu in battle, the boy cried Kaenhira no Jutsu. Suddenly his hands erupted in a fiery red glow. He jumped in the air, pausing for a slight moment before bringing his palm down towards the stomach of his foe and pushing him downwards, not stopping until he crushed him into the ground.

Seeing his brother being beaten, as well as no hope for winning this fight, he saw a slight glimmer of an opportunity of escape and took it. Believing that all attention was drawn away from him, the desperate foe dashed towards the lavender-eyed girl and struck her behind her head knocking her unconscious. Grabbing her as a hostage, he leaped towards the nearest branch. Everyone except the blond, the bug user and the gray-haired Jounin failed to see the Mist Nin go off carrying the heiress with him.

Leaving no time to think, the boy instantly sped away, trailing the Oni brother screaming "Hinata!". The rest of the team had little else to do noticing that the enemies sibling was not completely restrained. Kakashi hastily grabbed the Mist Nin and tied him up leaving little margin for escape while he ordered his dark-haired pupil to search for the other two. Meanwhile, the rest of the Konoha Nins were busy tending to the wounded and interrogating the abandoned nuke-nin.

Somewhere in the forest, the kidnapper ran with all his might away from the battle site with no specific direction in mind. He turned his head slightly feeling another presence behind him. As his eyes locked onto the incoming silhouette fear spread all across his mind. He could feel the tremendous amount of killer intent he was emitting. It shook him to the core, and that was before he saw his face became even more feral in appearance as well was his fingernails extended into claws. The Oni brother also noticed his stance was now in an all fours position and was gaining a lot more speed and momentum. 'What in the world is that… that monster? And to think they call me the one of the demon brothers'.

His body was now completely running on the adrenaline summoned by his fear of the boy behind him. He prayed that an opportunity would come and help him make a slippery escape. The man's prayers seemed answered as he began to hear the sounds of water flowing down a strong current. Adjusting the girl's position so he could perform hand seals, the nuke-nin turned around to perform a water jutsu hoping it would keep the creature away.

After performing the needed hand seals, he cried, "Daibakufu no Jutsu". Immediately a column of water surrounded the fox boy. The smirk on the Nin's face soon disappeared as the wall of water was slashed away. In the blink of an eye, the Kyuubi container went from trapped behind a raging wall of water into being in striking range from the foe. With a flick of his wrist, the young Jinchuuriki sliced through the enemy's chest forcing the man to drop his load as well as collapse to the ground.

Having felt the anger begin to subside, all rage vanished at the sight of the young Kunoichi drifting down the strong current of the river. His face began to change back to normal as well as the deep blue in his eyes receded, exposing his sparkly azure eyes that now showed worry. Not even having a second thought, the blond dove head first into the river, swimming with all his might to save the lavender-eyed heiress from drowning.

He felt panic overwhelm him, as fear swept across his body causing a rush of adrenaline The Genin began sending chakra to his limbs in order to boost his swimming speed. Within moments the boy had grabbed hold of the young girls waist and swam to the surface with chakra boosted might. He laid her down onto dry land, quickly checking for signs of breathing, "Kuso! No good" he then began to perform CPR desperate to get a single breath back from the lifeless girl. Tears strolled freely down his cheek praying to Kami with all his might that he would not lose the most precious thing in his life. "Hinata… Onegai. Live! Just live… I don't know what I'd do without you" after a few more pumps, he breathed out trying to get air in her lungs. Praying with everything he had, he pleaded to Kami to let her live. With a single rise of her chest, all the joy in the world rapidly entered his body. He began shaking gently trying to get her to cough out the water, which she did.

Slowly her eyes opened to meet sparkling cerulean orbs. "Naruto-kun… is that really you?" she asked in the weakest voice.

The boy couldn't even answer her verbally. Instead he lunged himself at her, careful not to harm her but to get her in a warm embrace. "Of course 'Nata. Who else could it be" no sooner did she join him in letting loose tears of joy. She slowly slid her arms around his waist as he held onto her back with one hand while the other supported her head, which was held up against his chest.

After a few more seconds under their embrace, the blond reluctantly and regrettably let go, "C'mon 'Nata, we need to get dry. We're gonna get sick if we stay like this" he slowly got up then extended his hand to her offering to help her up. Surprisingly she refused and put on a pout. Then out of nowhere she extended both arms, motioning him to carry her like an infant would do. A smile crept onto his face as he gently swooped her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style, then walked away from the river towards the woods in search for a place to get warm.

* * *

**Hooray! See! what'd i tell you about being impatient! the longer they're apart, the better it is when they get back together. :) ok well now that thats all over, i'll have to work on some fluff for the next part. YAY FLUFF! I hope the following fluff will do justice to all that i've done, GAH! this next chapter is gonna be HARD! Doesn't matter now, KEEP REVIEWING GUYS!!**


	11. The Moon and The Sun

**Alrighty!! iLong right? and guess what... fast update too! yeah well you could thank yourself pressuring me to get this finished by the weekend. i find it that you get more reviews in the week end. :)**

**Well again i'd like to thank my Beta 'Tsuchi-_sama_' for editing my fic. Also gots to thank YOU GUYS for Reviewing! man it feels good to see that people like it so much. So PLEEZ keep reviewing. it makes me feel good.**

also i have a poll: should i keep Zabuza alive or not? (haku's surviving either way... maybe... not to stable on it so give your opinion on that too)

lastly, for all you **NaruHina/fluff lovers** check out a friend of mine's writing. I think its VERY UNDER-RATED (as in better than what you'd expect. My personal fav is chap. 3 but imma show you one on chap 1. Its from **'Blanks, Dots, and Spirals' by Ogden-Primal Daemon King**, well here's a quick peek

_Hinata only squeaked at the sudden contact of their hands, but she still felt dazed from the sudden turn of events and couldn't do anything but run with him._

_As they entered the apartment (Naruto made a mental note to thank Ayame for cleaning it up while he was away.) Naruto sat down on the couch, not caring about how the water on his shirt and trousers were soaking into the fabric._

_Hinata sat down beside him, not as close as he would have liked, but…_

_Wait, what did THAT mean?_

_Shaking his head Naruto turned towards the girl. The pretty girl. The one who smelled nice. And had cute eyes…_

_OH HELL. Was Hinata going to start punching him too? It was bad enough when Sakura did it. Just. Ignore. How. Cute. She's. Looking._

_Do. Not. Stare._

_No matter how big she's suddenly gotten in the… uh… 'Ichaicha-zones'._

_Or the fact that she's blushing, in your apartment, alone with you…_

_Not at all. Nope._

**Well hope you check it out. Remember REVIEW!! for mine and his... but MINE TOO! ENJOY!**

ps. Thank you Alicia Kawa Uchiha for your AWSOME critic. I changed up chapter 1 & 2 and added a side story to Naruto's Necklace. please go back and check it out.

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto. But i do own my new OC's (not major... PLEASE tell me if you get the reference... if not you better go to your local asian eatery and ask about their names... you'll see what i mean)  
**

* * *

The Moon and The Sun

Slash marks on the shaft and branches of the tree was the boy's only lead. He heard no sound, saw no other, but knew he was in the right path. After a while he began to hear a familiar noise. It differed from the normal sounds found in the forest, it sounded swift, but strong. It was… a river.

The dark-haired Genin followed the tracks to a clearing. A pair of footsteps stopped at the edge of the bank. The toes were dug in deep indicating he had jumped, but the river was too wide to be able to clear, yet across the river, where the foot prints where aligned, was a small crater. If he did walk across, why is there a crater and no foot prints? It seemed as if he was knocked across the river, but who could have done something like this he wondered. 'There's no way Naruto could have done this… right?"

After inspecting the bank, he found no other pairs of footprints anywhere besides the one at the edge of the clearing. He then found a group of rocks and carefully walked across the raging waterway. Two possibilities entered his mind, either the same Nin, that was knocked onto the other side, carried him across the river or he fell into it and was swept in by the current. 'Surely he wouldn't be dumb enough to get captured by some injured Nin. That wouldn't make much sense since he already had a hostage. And after seeing this crater up close, there's no way he could held on to that girl' After taking on last look at the crime scene, he headed back to report on, "The river it is" he said.

* * *

The walk to find a decent spot for the night was comfortably quiet. She had fallen asleep in his arms. His chest was first to dry from the heat the lavender-eyed girl was emitting. The blonde did not have to tread too far, but could not, or rather would not, travel through the trees seeing how it would both freeze and not mention would also wake up the sleeping beauty.

So after a half and hour and a couple kilometers walking, they found a nice clearing in the forest. It wasn't too big and the canopy barely opened revealing the time it was. Night was creeping in and dawn covered the sky. He soon found the girl in his arms start to stir. Letting her down on a patch of grass, leaning against a large tree, he took another look around for some firewood. The young Genin picked up several sticks and dried undergrowth, all while staying within eyesight of his lavender-eyed treasure.

The blonde began to dig the ground with his heels making a wide but very shallow circle to place the firewood onto. Feeling lazy, he decided to use chakra to ignite the wood. Quickly performing hand seals he whispered, "Kaenhira no Jutsu". He felt the stick getting warm but wouldn't ignite, "flaming palms my ass" he said feeling frustrated.

Two hands silently crept from behind him, grabbing his waist. The initial connection sent the stick in his hand to erupt in flames. "Whoa! Oh… thanks 'Nata", he snuggled the torch under the pile of woods watching the flames dance around from one twig to the other. After accomplishing his task, he moved his attention to the young kunoichi attached to him. "Hey 'Nata… c'mon you have to get dry now". He raised an eyebrow as he watched the girl murmur something under her breath then snuggle more into his back.

'She's sleeping' he thought. The boy turned around, letting the sleeping heiress rest her head on his lap. "'Nata… you have to wake up now. You're gonna get sick if you sleep like that", 'It's a miracle your not sick now' he continued. Talking failed to wake her so he took more drastic measures. Lifting her with his arm, he took his vacant hand and caressed her check with his thumb. Slowly he bent down inching his mouth from hers. The direct contact sent quivers from their already shivering bodies.

As soon as he felt her lips kiss back, he raised his head again, "You awake now?" The girl had a tint of red in her face and nodded slightly while her eyes barely opened.

"um hm" was all she was able to mutter. The kunoichi rose to her feet and stretched her limbs. Still half asleep, she began to take off her wet clothes responding to the blonde's earlier statement.

Naruto took his eye of the fire for a brief moment to look back at the sleepy Hinata. What he saw got him to blush, "Agh… wait! Don't do that here". Blood began to slip down his nostril while he witnessed the lavender-eyed girl almost take her shirt off.

Now she was conscious and alert of what she had almost done. An 'eep' came from the flushed girl's mouth, quickly throwing the shirt back down on her exposed skin. She snagged her jacket of the floor, holding it in front of her chest while she apologized, "OH… g-g-gomen N-Naruto-kun. I-I-I wasn't aware. I d-didn't mean t-to…" the girl was cut off by a noticeable chuckle from the boy.

"haha… its really ok 'Nata. Why don't you change behind that rock" he said, trying to calm down from his laughter

"Demo, I don't have any clothes with me" she began to blush imagining having to spend the night with Naruto both in their undergarments.

"No worries, I'll have your clothes dry in a jiffy" she couldn't deny that there wasn't a little bit of disappointment, but she was glad that there wouldn't have to be an awkward night between the two. That was the last thing she wanted.

She soon disappeared behind the rock while the blonde waited patiently on the other side. He couldn't help but hear the sounds of wet clothes being taken off. Blood again trickled down from his nose. 'Agh! I'm not a pervert. I'm not a pervert. I'm nothing like my pervy senseis' he thought.

Following what was an intense fight to stop a nosebleed, the last piece of cloth was off. Two pale hands holding wet clothes rose from the top of the rock. "H-here y-you go 'Ruto-kun" she spoke while trembling.

"You cold?" he asked. Not knowing whether she was embarrassed or just freezing, he felt that he had to ask.

She nodded. "Just a bit. Demo… ano, do you think that's all. Should I take off ano… you know".

Bam! Instant K-O. The blonde boy could barely stand up after getting an image of a stark naked Hinata in his head, thanks to the lovely aid of the Kyuubi. This had to be wrong in some levels. Though he spent so much time in his younger body, he technically was twenty-four years old, yet something in him kept him from thinking like one. And now he was shaking in his answer. "Eh… t-that's really u-up to you… ano… you don't have to take it…" now he was cut of when another quivering hand rose from the rock.

In her grasp was a lavender cotton bra. The topsides had lacy frills on the tip that continued up the strap. What he _accidentally_ said got him to instantly regret opening his trap, "Kawaii". After an 'eep' was heard, both froze. He hadn't meant to say it out loud but it slipped anyways. "Gomen, I didn't mean it like that". Instead of saying anymore, her bra dropped into his palms, then slowly he sat the clothes onto a flat part of a near by rock. He was thankful that it was only a bra. Only Kami knows what would have happened if the set included panties

On the hidden side of the bolder, the lavender eyed Genin sat near the ground, knees against her open chest while her arms wrapped around herself. ''Ruto-kun… he's holding my bra…' she felt flushed more than anything. The girl wondered what got her into handing him her bra. Did she want him to see it? Did she like the thrill of being topless in the same vicinity as the blonde? Did she want him to feel excited knowing there's a naked girl only a few meters away.

Near the fire, Naruto took little time drying up his love's clothes. The fire would have taken too long so he resulted in using a dulled out Kaenhira no Jutsu to do the trick. The Jacket took the longest so he decided to do that first, then the pants, then and the tight black mesh shirt. Not wanting to look like a pervert, he saved the bra for last. It wasn't the first time he messed with a bra. There were times in the past where clothes were mis-packed leaving a pink laced bra as a surprise for the boy when he got home. But this time the situation was different.

He toned down the amount of chakra even more, feeling how delicate the undergarment was. Finally he was finished. Carefully, he rested the clothes back on top of the rock. Now it was his turn to get dry. 'Hey Kyuubi, you think you can help me out?' with a loud grunt, the ancient fox sent waves of warm chakra out to the boy. Heat enveloped the blonde, quickly drying him.

Hinata had finished putting back on her clothes in time to watch the blonde be surrounded by yokai. She was a bit worried not knowing what was happening, "Naruto-kun… what are you doing?" she asked.

The blonde snapped his head in her direction. He began to cease the flow of red chakra from his body thinking it was worrying his comrade. "Oh… eh, I was using the fox's chakra to dry me" he began to rub the back of his head, typical when he feels a bit embarrassed.

"Oh", that was all that she needed explained. Then another thought came to her, "Then how come you didn't do that to me… I mean how come you… ano… made me undr… do that?" a hint of red began to shadow her cheeks followed by a sneaky grin. "Did you want me to get naked… pervert" it had been one of the few times she let Naruto's influence take over.

She said it, the one word the boy _didn't_ want her to say. "Nani!? No I didn't! I swear… I just came up with the thought right now! Gomen… I should have thought before asking you to… you know" his guilt ended as laughter roamed the air. He looked up to see a cute girl laughing at the tomato-faced boy.

"Desu yo 'Ruto-kun. I was only kidding" she giggled some more, barely noticing the huge sigh escape from her friend.

The boy then playfully glared at her as she took her seat next to him against the tall tree. Naruto quickly snagged her waist drawing her closer causing her to give a slight 'eep' noise. After a brief moment of stiffness, she relaxed and rested her head in the crook of his neck. All they heard was the wind rustling in the trees, some chirps from nearby grasshoppers, and the crackle of the warm fire in front of them, but besides that, it was silent.

It was a comforting silence that gave an almost warm feeling to the couple. But even this could not last forever. "'Ruto-kun" she said. His head turned slightly to look the girl in his arms who's face was just inches apart. "Ano… what made you change your mind?" she warily asked.

Naruto was baffled at first. "Nani? What are you talking about?" he retorted.

"That day… after we were ano… caught. I went to talk to you and… I found you in the yard" visible tears began to form. The boy took his left hand to wipe the tears from her eye. He wanted to ask what she was talking about again but decided to just let her continue. "Well, you… acted different. You said…" now she was sobbing. The boy had no idea what would make her act this way as well as having the faintest clue about meeting her that day.

"Look Hinata-chan. I don't know what happened at your place demo… I was never there that night," her head then snapped towards his face. Lavender-moons met skies of blue… and she knew he was telling the truth. "I'm not sure what whoever you saw said demo there's no way in hell I would say something to upset you"

Any control to stop her tears had vanished. His sweater became wet again with tears. He listen closely to her mumbles barely making out the words 'gomen'. "… I shouldn't have been so easily fooled. It's just that… when you told me those things… I was scared". Naruto's heart began to ache just watching her cry because of someone she thought was him.

The blue-eyed teen took her gently by her arms and guided the girl onto his lap. Tilting her head so that they could look each other in the eyes, he spoke, "'Nata… you don't have to cry anymore. I'm here aren't I? Don't feel bad for being fooled… you weren't the only one you know" He gave her heart-felt smile and nuzzled his nose onto hers. "If anyone should feel dumb, it should be me. I though you wrote me a _lets break up_ note… you didn't write that did you?" as she nodded her head, a relief-filled sigh came out.

The ink blue-haired Kunoichi giggled at his face then did what she had craved for what seemed to be an eternity. She snuggled deeper into his chest, rose up, and then gently placed a tender kiss upon his lips. It didn't last long, but those three seconds of bliss was more than enough. She opened her eyes and saw only the sea. Closing it again she tucked her head onto his chest and hummed.

The vibration coming from his girlfriend was both ticklish and comforting. He laughed a bit then said, "Almost a month… can't believe I almost spent one month without you cause of some stupid crap someone pulled" gently he stroked her short midnight blue hair. "we have so much stuff to catch up on, hime"

A chuckle came out from the girl causing him to shake from the vibration. "Oh! Is my 'Ruto-kun ticklish?" she gave her boyfriend one of his own signature smiles that he finds completely irresistible on her.

"No… you wouldn't", but she did. his initial pout formed into a silly face due to all the tickling, a face that caused the girl to laugh hysterically. "Nani? What's so funny?" he asked.

She just giggled and did her best to imitate his face causing both to burst in a fit of giggles.

The rest of the night, they spent talking and laughing about how easily fooled they were by each other. Mentioning those coincidences with Kiba and Choji. Then talked about him kissing Ino, which Naruto immediately apologized for. They knew who had set them up but put that worry aside for a later time. Now they were finally together, and they wanted it to be stress-free and peaceful. Laying their heads against the root of the ancient tree, the couple fell asleep in their arms.

It was exactly what both wanted. Just some time with each other, no insults from the disapproving clan, no hated glares from fearful ignorant villagers, and no pressures from a hectic Shinobi life, just two people, opposite in appearance, but every bit the same.

His hair was the sun, lavender-eyes was the moon. Blue pupils built the sky, and her hair made it night. Both shared the same warm heart, with motivation came similar will and drive. And lastly, both knew of pain, and found comfort with each other. Each one had their own story, now they shared it. One story, two characters and millions of obstacles. But that night, there was none, it would have to wait til the rise of the sun.

* * *

Somewhere else in the forest, a beaten up Nin crawled the forest ground in search for aid. Fortunately or unfortunately, he stumbled into a group of familiar _allies_.

One was dark and buff. His face, as well as any exposed skin, was scared, and gave a mean impression. He wore a ripped up fishnet shirt and leather arm guards that seemed similarly worn out. The right leg of his pants looked like it was cut from below his knee.

Two others that were with him were twins. They were a bit shorter then the Taro and wore eye patches on opposite sides. Tai had his on the left, Tee on the right. Both had on matching vests with nothing underneath. Each wore different colored pants; Tai liked orange while Tee liked green.

The last one was Boba. He took the roll of the leader though he was short and stout. His black shorts ended right at his knees but revealed it bandages on his left leg.

Walking around the forest towards the hidden base they came across a dying Oni brother. "Oi! Isn't that Gouzu?" said Tai.

Tee ran ahead and flipped him on his back. "You're right Onii-san, it's him" he replied.

The Mist Nin began coughing up blood while he attempted to speak, "Bridge builder… has guards… too many" he was wheezing terribly, and death was knocking hard.

"How many?" grumbled Boba.

"Two Jounin… six brats" a large cough nearly sent him over the edge after speaking.

Tee stood up and walked next to his brother. "Zabuza-san isn't gonna like this is he Onii-san?" he inquired.

"Who gives a fuck? We don't work for _him_ anymore. Our loyalty lies with the one with power. Zabuza lost that the moment he worked for Gato" This caused the dying man to look in shock.

"What do we do?" The large man asked.

The stumpy leader looked at the floored man with disgust and said, "Kill him". With no hesitation, Taro took out his ax slammed it at the Nin's throat, instantly killing him. Turning his head away from the bloody mess, he directed his troop, "Time to warn Zabuza-_sama_ about this little incident.

The group didn't bother hiding the body. Instead, they left the corpse there for the forest to feed upon as they walked in the shadows of night.

* * *

Back at the campsite, the dark haired boy ran towards the leader of the pack. "Kakashi-sensei". The scarecrow looked back disappointed that Sasuke failed to return with the missing people. "I couldn't find them. I believe both of them were carried down stream. The enemy also got away but I doubt he fled without a scratch"

The Jounin shook his head then looked back at the Genin. "Well its night time now. It's best if we look again in the morning. I'm sure the two will be fine" His eyes made another arch as he did his best to give a reassuring smile to the rest of the troop.

This didn't go well with the dog trainer. "You're kidding me right? We're just supposed to leave them there?" This got the pink-haired Kunoichi surprisingly backed up his argument.

"I also agree. It wouldn't be safe if we just assume they're ok. What if they got injured? Naruto isn't the best person when it comes to avoiding injuries. Half the time we see him, he's leaving the hospital" then a inward smile rose as her inner self began to stir.

"**Hell, I bet he's having the time of his life with his **_**Hinata-chan**_**. Why does that idiot baka get to have a romantic evening with her and I get stuck with dog-boy and the bug freak? Sasuke won't even look at me… ugh no fair!"** she ranted. Her logic barely made much sense, and the conscious Sakura didn't miss the opportunity to correct her slide.

'I wouldn't call being cold, damp, hungry, and lost in the forest a very romantic' she sneered.

The other Jounin instructor also threw in her two cents. "I'm glad you guys are worried for your comrades, but running around blindly won't do any help. One of you has already failed in finding them" The Uchiha gave a 'hmph' sound then walked away. "Kiba and Akamaru are injured, thus their noses can't be helped, Shino is also hurt so his bugs are also out, and the Byakugan is gone with it's user. So tell me, how are we supposed to find them in the middle of the night?" Everyone was silent. The red-eyed lady was right. "Now that we all agree, lets talk about it again in the morning. Until then, everyone go to sleep, I'll take first watch.

Without another complaint, all the Genins left to their respective tents. Shino and Kiba shared theirs. Sasuke, to Sakura's displeasure, both found their own tents. Kakashi insisted he stay and sleep under the stars, while a semi-drunk Tazuna passed out the moment his tent was put up.

"You did a good job with them," Kakashi said towards his fellow Jounin. "I could barely get my own team under control sometimes"

The red-eyed mistress took a glance at the scarecrow before saying, "Maybe if you put that perverted book away once in a while, you'd learn how to handle you team better"

He put on a hidden pout, "That was a bit mean" he stated.

"Not really. This would be mean" She quickly reached out and grabbed the book, dangling it above the fire long enough to see the one-eyed Jounin gasp, then dropped it in the fire. He blinked at the site then glared at the women. "Calm down scarecrow" she giggled.

The male Jounin took a second look and noticed his book was still in his hand. "Genjutsu… evil", with that he left to find a comfy spot under that stars, away from tricky red-eyed females.

* * *

Morning came quick to the sleeping couple. The blonde was the first to wake, but found it extremely difficult to leave his warm spot and lovely blanket. Over night, his tenant graciously enveloped the two in a warm blanket of yokai, which surrounded the two but did not penetrate the skin saving the lavender-eyed girl from chakra poisoning.

After a few minutes preparation for getting up, he carefully slid from the Hyuga heiress's grasp. Suddenly a loud groan bellowed from beneath him. "Ugh… food… no ramen… gonna starve", and like a mummy walking, he headed towards the river in hopes to get some early morning fish.

Not much later, Hinata awoke to miss a comforting warmth next to her. Soft lavender eyes slowly opened to see an imprint on the ground where her '_Ruto-kun_ once laid. She began to panic when her eyes had still not caught sight of familiar blonde locks. Feeling it was an emergency she jumped up and readied herself to use her Byakugan to help find the missing boy.

The shrubs behind her began to rustle as she pulled out a Kunai from her pouch. It wasn't until she activated her Kekkei Genkai that she felt foolish, but it was a bit to late to hide it. A relatively short blonde Genin popped out holding a couple of fish biting down on his fingers. After seeing the Kunai readied in the Kunoichi's hand and Byakugan barely being activated, he threw his hands in the air in a surrender position.

"Whoa! Gomen 'Nata, I didn't mean to be gone that long. I was getting breakfast, see?" The young Genin waved his hand in front of her then noticed the lack of flopping fishes supposed to be attached to his finger.

She blushed at her boyfriend's antics then rushed to help him recollect their _breakfast on the go_. "Gomen 'Ruto-kun. I didn't mean to startle you like that. If only you hadn't startle me first" she shook her head disapprovingly but got a vibe she was only flirting.

The blonde caught this vibe and willingly accepted it. He lunged towards the girl, snagging her from behind and said, "Well I sure do apologize for my mistakes your highness. Please forgive this mere beggar, and in return I'll humbly offer you these" he took his hands and held it in front of her face, still holding the now dead fish while making kissy noises attempting to get a peck with said breakfast.

The female Genin retaliated by slapping the fish away saying 'ewww'. She gave Naruto a playful glare then wagged her finger at him. "Hadn't anyone taught you not to play with your food?"

The blonde smiled back with a flash of his teeth then spoke, "Then what shall I play with?". He threw himself at the unprepared girl but before he had the chance to strike with all the intention of tickling her into submission, an extremely loud roar came from his stomach.

He blushed at the embarrassing situation, which caused the female to giggle. "Hungry are we?"

"Well I sure am" he replied rushing towards the re-lit the fire, patting the ground besides him. "C'mon, your gonna starve" she of course took his proposal but instead of sitting next to him, she decided to be bold and sit on his lap. "Oh my, your highness, I hadn't expected you to take your throne so soon" she giggled again then kissed him in the cheek.

"Best seat in the house" He smiled back and then handed her a stick and a fish.

"Well let's get cookin' good lookin'" he said warmly.

After breakfast, they were glad to be relieved of having to pack up seeing that they only had the fire to put out. Once it was they walked back to the river and followed it down stream. She wasn't sure why, but it seemed that the blonde knew exactly where he was going. Though the girl was confident in her comrade, curiosity still scratched at her. "'Ruto-kun… ano why are we going this way?"

He looked back and smiled again. "Well… this river must lead to a lake right? And I have this gut feeling that's where we'll find the rest of them"

"**And this has nothing to do with the fact that you know full well that there are two nins waiting for you, one being Zabuza, the other being Haku"** chuckled the fox.

'Ok so it's more than a gut feeling... but still. I think i might be able to save them this time!'

"**So you're gonna try to save those two Gaki? Better not make things worse"** this time his words came out more serious.

'What's that supposed to mean? How can things possibly get worse? They BOTH DIED! That seems like a pretty bad ending to me' he said still not seeing where the demon was getting to.

"**I'm talking about your mate. You're dealing with an dangerous missing-nin, one that could wipe the floor with you in that wimpy body of yours. You really think she'll be completely safe from harm?"** The Kyuubi's words struck a cord into the young blonde's head. He hated to admit it but he was right. Things were different now, and he couldn't depend on fighting the same way knowing how the situation has greatly changed.

'Demo… there's more of us so… so we should put up a better fight right?' he prayed that it would be true, and hoped the fox would reassure him. Sadly he did not.

"**No Kit. It just means, that sword wielding behemoth has more targets to swing at. I'm just trying to warn you. Don't make any rash decisions. If those two were meant to die, then don't risk it fighting fate"** this pissed of the blonde Genin.

'Don't fight fate? You're kidding right? All I've been doing the past six years was fighting fate! Gah I swear you stupid fox, your starting to sound like the old Neji' His anger was starting to show physically, which startled the Hinata a bit.

"'Ruto-kun? Is there something wrong? You look a bit angry" she said calmly shaking the boy gently by his arm.

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts to notice his girl tugging on him with worried face. "Oh… ano, it's nothing. I was just getting into an argument with that stupid fox" he said with a bit of a growl when he mentioned fox.

"You can speak with it?" she asked

"Yeah. But don't worry. I got that thing in check one hundred and twenty percent!" He gave another toothy grin reassuring the girl walking next to him. Then he heard what sounded like water filling out. "Yosh! We're here!" He then looked at the girl. She nodded as if she already knew what the boy was asking for.

She performed the hand seals then said, "Byakugan". Focusing, she looked at six familiar chakra signatures. They looked a bit spread out, as if in search of something, or someone. "I found them! One is four o'clock from here, about three hundred meters"

The boy then grasped her hand and jumped onto the branch. "Lead the way 'Nata" he made a gesture pointing his left arm towards the headed direction while his other arm rested along his stomach also pointing in the same direction. She giggled then began navigating through the trees with her Doujutsu still activated.

The two soon met up with a quite hooded bug user. The blonde then began to wave his hand, trying to get his attention. "Oi Shino! Over here!" He looked then halted his movements, jumping down from the branch and walked towards the couple.

"So where have you guys been. The group began to fear the worst," he said uncaring.

"You know, just drifting around. Nothing to get you guys worried" the blonde replied.

"Shino-kun. Is everyone out to look for us?" He gave a stiff.

"Well better not keep them waiting. I know how Kakashi-sensei gets annoyed when he has to get his eyes out of his pervy book to actually do work" he snickered.

"Alright 'Ruto-kun. I see them over there. They're huddled… but I see someone else" she said softly.

The boy knew exactly who this person was. He thought to himself, 'Zabuza'.

**"Better get you ass moving. Who knows what's gonna happen with you in the sidelines"** He didn't need any other words to get him moving. Without a second thought, he gently tugged the lavender-eyed Genin's arm then ran full speed to the _soon-to-be battleground_.

* * *

**OK so did you get the meaning of the names of the OC's?? Didja. Well Hope you enjoyed. Remember to answer the poll about if Zabuza and Haku should live ok.**

ALso Check out chapter 1 & 2 (mostly two cuz that's where i explain the necklace better) i will reintroduce the necklace story later on in the series so don't fret.


	12. Rumble in the Mist

**NEW BETA-EDITED VERSION!!  
**

**Well let me just tell you so far, the votes for if Zabuza dies is about 5-3 he lives rather than he dies. and so far the votes about haku's gender is about 2-1 its a she. but if its a she, there won't be a pairing (she's seventeen and too old for a 12 year old) but if its a he, then i might hook him up with Ayame (but ill do my best to not make it seem like a crack pairing)**

**Also, NOONE figured out the references to the OC's names :Tai, Tee, Taro, Boba. just to let you know its supposed to be the flavors of a popular asian drink: Boba, which is the name for both the drink and the chewy balls in it. Tai and Tee is really Thai Tea which is a flavor as well as Taro (aka Ube to you filipinos). so go to your local boba place and order a thai tea or taro boba its delicios. now onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto. But i do own my new OC's**

a/n: (aniki-older brother, ototo-younger brother) (mizu bunshin-water clone)(Bunshin Kaiten Kakatou Otoshi - Clone Spinning Heel Drop)(Bunshin Taiatari - Clone Ramming Suicide Attack).

* * *

Three Shinobis sprint through the forest in the direction of their group. Within moments, they were settled behind the thick branches of a nearby tree observing their team.

'Matte!' the young blonde thought. 'That's not Zabuza… and we haven't passed the bridge yet…' his thoughts were broken by the voice of their new enemy.

"Oi! Who the hell is that skinny bastard?" screamed Kiba. The female Jounin put a hand on his shoulder mentally telling him to quite down and stand back.

'Mist-Nins. I don't recognize them from the bingo book but those Hitai-ate… They're Mist-Nin's alright' She walked up in front of the Genins and spoke to the unknown foe. "We're not here for you but if you attack us, know we outnumber you five to one" Her harsh crimson stare burning holes through his facade.

An unexpected chuckle came from a rippling puddle near the Mist-Nin's feet. "Make that five to two" another foe began to rise from the shallow puddle and stood next to his twin. "Tai-nii-san, so what do you think? They look tough. Do we fight?" his stare went back and forth between the group of Konoha-Nins and his aniki.

"Hell yah you should fight!" An orange blur soon flew from the trees accompanied by a lavender-eyed girl and an Aburame. "Doesn't look like you have any choice anyways," The blonde said as he flicked his nose with his thumb, giving a determined look.

"Naruto! Hinata!" the two Jounins yelled.

Hearing the young blonde talk made the older brother begin to laugh. "You here that ototo? This little brat want to scrap" The Nin began to laugh at the young Genin. "Too bad we're only sent to scout. Now what do you think Zabuza-sama would do if he finds out we disobeyed him?"

Flashback

The group of Mist Nins came finally reached the Mist base. Tai, Tee, Taro, and the leader Boba, walked down the hallway and watched two henchmen flee a room at the end. Without even looking at the four-man cell, they rushed out of the suspended fortress with a look of fear written across their faces.

"Hmph. Looks like the boss scared 'em eh Boba?" asked the large man.

"Probably came to tell Zabuza-sama about the bride builder" replied the fatter man as he led the group into the room.

From his chair, the masked man lifted his sword and put it next to his side, "What now you four?" he asked

"Just wanted to let you know your Oni-chibis got their ass handed to them. They're dead now" the stout one bluntly stated.

"I already know that. I'm planning on dealing with them myself," before the masked Nin continued he was interrupted again by Boba.

"That's not all. It seems like the bridge-builder has quite the company. Two Jounins and some brats" he was a bit taken back when the boss rose to his feet, lifting his massive sword.

"Well, looks like you boys will be helpful after all" suddenly from within the shadows, another Nin came to Zabuza's side wearing a Mist Hunter-Nin mask. "Haku, come with me. Boba, you and your crew go check them out, two of you scout" then with a sinister voice he said, "I want the kill". With that, the two masked Nins vanished, leaving the rest of the group to find the bridge-builder.

End of Flashback

The younger twin looked up towards his Aniki, "C'mon Tai-nii-san, lets go. We get to fight them later anyways" he persuaded.

"Hmph… alright. I guess we could wait" Tai looked towards his twin and winked. He began to reach for his pouch strapped next to his hip causing the Konoha Nins to jump into a defensive position. Then without warning, he smashed a couple smoke bombs on the floor and the two instantly dashed out of sight.

"Kuso!" The blonde screamed. "'Nata, do you see them?" he asked.

The blue-haired girl began to form a hand seal then activated her Doujutsu. "Gomen Naruto-kun, I can't see them anymore" she said as the veins on around her eyes receded.

All the action that happened in so far caused the employer to worry. 'Damn that Gato!' the half drunk man thought, but as all the smoke cleared, he noticed nearly all of the hired Nins were glaring at him. "What are ya'll lookin' at?" the old man nervously said.

"Who do you think?" Kiba sneered.

"Tazuna-san, answer this honestly. Why is it that we've been targeted by several missing Nins? According to your request form, this was supposed to be a C-rank escort mission, one that should not have included the possibility of encountering strong Shinobis. Even to this, the Hokage admitted another Genin team for experience purpose, is there perhaps another reason for the unnecessary back-up?" The one-eyed Jounin suspiciously questioned.

The employer sighed and began walking past the angry Shinobis, "Well I guess I have some explaining to do" he said with remorse.

"Damn right you do!" again shouted the dog trainer. Two different hands settled onto the boy's shoulders, looking back he saw that one belonged to his sensei and a white-hooded blond surprisingly owned the other.

The blue-eyed Genin let go his grasp then looked at the scowling boy. "Drop it Kiba" he calmly stated. "That doesn't matter now. Can't we leave this talk after we get to town? We're going nowhere if we argue here" the blonde tried to convince the group.

"No Naruto. He purposely asked for a C-rank mission knowing it was truly a B or A-rank mission, with that he made his request invalid, so we can't continue with the mission" the scarecrow replied.

"Eh? We can't or we won't? Its one thing if we drop an invalid mission, but its something completely different when we abandon a guy just to save our hides. If you asked me, a person who runs away from a mission 'cause they're afraid is worse than a guy who brakes the rules" His little speech caused the silent girl in the crowd her to follow.

The lavender-eyed girl softly stepped away from the crowd and stood near the blonde, "Naruto-kun is right" now the whole crowd, including both the old man and the blue-eyed teen stared at the Kunoichi. "We can't leave him behind. Even… even if we have to complete this alone" she said with fire resonating in her voice.

The red-eyed Jounin watched her pupil stand-up for her beliefs and was both proud and moved. She watched a stoic Shino, a gleeful Sakura, an uncaring Sasuke and finally a hesitant Kiba walk between the employer and their senseis. "Well Kakashi, I guess we'll just have to let this one slip. It is more their mission than it is ours" she said.

The gray-haired man shrugged while taking out his favorite novel, "Whatever. I'd rather not argue more than I have to" he said void of emotion. This made the young blonde smile.

"Well let's go then. The island is right of the coast from here," said the drunken builder. Everyone nodded then began they're trek towards the village.

On their way Tazuna explained his and the village's situation. The teams began to sympathize the builder along with everyone on the island. Though they disagreed about his approach, nonetheless they were willing to help out in the protection of both the builder and the bridge.

Already across the ocean, twin Shinobis docked onto land, greeted by two other Mist Nins. "So? How'd it go?" asked the fat man.

"Just peachy boss. One of 'em's the Copy Cat Nin, Hatake Kakashi. The other is the Genjutsu mistress, Yuuhi Kurenai. There was a few brats with 'em. But if it weren't for those two, me and Tee 'wudda slaughtered 'em" Tai said licking his lips thinking about a Genin massacre.

"They're on their way now. Is everything set?" asked Tee.

"'Course! Now lets go before they get here. And just before things get out of hand… dibs on the lady!" Boba called with a devilish smile.

"Oi! That's no fair boss. I'm not gonna get stuck with a buncha kids" a loud bellow came from a large axe wielding man. "Lemme at least get a few swings. My axe hasn't tasted any female in a while" two powerful hands lifted the heavy axe and swung it around, slashing at an imaginary object.

"Heh. There's two little Kunoichis with 'em big guy. Why don't you take 'em out and me and nii-san get the four others?" proposed the younger twin. A husky grunt came from the annoyed giant as the group began walking deeper into the forest.

Not to far later, another boat docked onto the island. Eight Shinobis and a bridge builder stepped onto dry land. It was a quite walk to the village until a certain blonde spoke out. "So old man. What are ya thinking about naming the bridge?" he inquired.

"Heh, something cool no doubt. Like The Bridge of Waves or The Bridge over troubled waters" the last suggestion caused everyone to drop a sweat.

The whiskered Shinobi scrunched his face and faced the drunkard once more, "Don't you think you should name it after something or someone important? Maybe name it after a hero!" the boy made a foxy grin thinking about how it was named after him. 'Heh, they might as well right my name there now'.

"Maybe, but we haven't had any heroes in these parts in a while. You could thank that baka-yaro Gato for destroying everybody's hopes and dreams" None of the Genins except Naruto knew who Gato was but already they didn't like him. "There was one… my son-in-law, but Gato publicly executed him for no damn good reason!" he said with anger and sorrow.

The two young Kunoichis held their hands up in disbelief and disgust. "That's terrible! Why would they even do such a thing" the pink haired girl asked rhetorically but, whether she liked it or not, she got her answer.

The bridge builder crossed his arms and looked up at the sky, "Like I said, he wanted to crush our faith. Wanted to make an example of those who'd go against his shit-assed ways. Ever since then, people just shut up. He's been takin' money away from us, owning all the ports, inflating imported goods, all 'cause his greedy ass wants to take over this country" all his anger and aggression were released in his explanation.

Anger grew among the Genin, even the blonde, who already knew the story, felt his rage towards Gato rekindle. And as luck would have it, the team found a familiar enemy to take their frustration out on.

The little white dog perched upon the Inuzuka's head began to bark at two figures ahead of them. "What is it Akamaru?" the boy asked receiving a few barks and growls in return. "Hey Hinata, could you…" he was interrupted by the bug user.

"No need. It's the two from before. I planted a female bug on them earlier just incase, and my bugs tell me its no mistake" the high-collared Genin looked at his sensei for guidance, "What should we do Kurenai-sensei?"

"We are here to escort Tazuna-san to the bridge, are we not? If we happen to fall into a fight, then so it be" The red-eyed women told the group.

The only person truly against it was the employer himself, "Hey now. Lets not jump into unnecessary fights. How the hell am I supposed to build a bridge if I'm… agh!" a kunai was suddenly thrown towards the speaker only to have it deflected by another kunai wielded by the lavender-eyed Kunoichi.

She quickly guided the man towards the middle of the group. "Gomen, but could you stay between us. You are easier to protect this way" the girl said confidently.

"Way to go 'Nata!" praised the blonde receiving a smile from the blushing Kunoichi.

Suddenly a new voice came from high above a branch. "As much as I'd hate to break up this little get together. I have a bridge builder to kill, so if you don't mind, just hand him over and you might live to see another day" said a masked man.

"You… Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist" sneered the scarecrow as he readied himself into a defensive stance.

"So it looks like the Copy Cat Nin of Konoha really did come. You've got quite the bounty on you in the bingo book" bellowed the man. Slowly his gaze fell onto the other Jounin besides Kakashi. "But don't feel like I forgot about you, Mistress Yuuhi. Your bounty isn't much, but your company would be worth so much more" Zabuza said with a devilish smirk underneath his bandages while making hand seals, slowly creating a fog.

The red-eyed Jounin sighed at the comment, "Are all masked Shinobis perverted?" she asked sarcastically. The one-eyed Jounin beside her sneered at the comment.

Suddenly the indigo-haired Kunoichi spoke up again. "Sensei! There're two more Nins here! The first two are just up ahead and the other two are behind the bushes over there" she whispered to her sensei, trying to gain the element of surprise.

"She's right," the young Uchiha said calmly. "The two up ahead are running towards here right now" he added.

His sensei nodded and began briefing the group. "Ok listen up. When I give the signal, I want you, Naruto, and Kiba to run ahead and make a clear path. Sakura, Shino, and Hinata, stay here and help protect Tazuna" Then he looked at the group of Genin, "And don't worry. We'll make sure you're all safe," the Jounin said giving the team a reassuring smile.

Everyone began to get in their stances. 'The fog's starting to get thick' the scarecrow thought. "Ok… go!" and like lightening, the three leaf Nins dashed through the fog. "And little heiress," Kakashi looked at the Hyuga, "Make sure not to stray, we're gonna need those eyes Naruto loves so much" said the slightly perverted man causing the girl to blush and the man to get elbowed by the rookie Jounin.

The sword-wielding foe was now off the branch and silently walking around the group creating two extra Mizu Bunshins. "Aww what happened to you group Kakashi? Did three of 'em get scared and run off?" taunted the Mist-Nin

By now the fog was too thick to see farther than you own hands. Both Kakashi and Hinata now had their Doujutsu activated. "Hmph, your stupid mist won't work against us. Shino, send your bugs out and make them absorb as much chakra as you can from the mist" He said.

The pink haired Kunoichi wasn't so thrilled knowing the surrounding area would be occupied by chakra feasting bugs, but it was better than being slain by a creepy Nin. "You don't have to worry. My bugs won't bite unless I tell them to" the Aburame heir said with both assurance and annoyance.

The green-eyed Kunoichi felt a pang of guilt in his comment, but before she could apologize, her vision began to clear. "The mist… yatta it's lifting!" her voice squealed in happiness.

"Too bad its too late" suddenly a dark figure formed in between the two red-wearing Kunoichis. The lavender-eyed Genin was the first to notice and screamed, "Sensei! Behind you!"

Two Kunais were quickly raised to block the massive blade. "Kuso! Damn girl, Taro!" at his call, a huge shadow jumped from the bushes aiming towards the girl.

Though she saw the attack coming, she alone wasn't enough to block the head on attack. Thankfully the bug user was there to lend a pair of Kunais, helping to parry the blow. Yet still, both Genins were taken back and hurdled out of the way along with the attacker.

"And then there were three" Zabuza said with a smug face, but it was short lived when a Kunai was jammed into his chest by an aggressive scarecrow. But to the girl's surprise, the person, thought to be the enemy, was just a bunshin. Behind her a large sword came swooping down headed for the Kunoichi's shoulder.

Just inches before the huge hunk of metal made contact, several well-placed Shuriken were thrown into the eyes, chest, and throat of yet another clone. Kurenai, reached in her pouch looking for several more projectiles. "Sakura! Get Tazuna-san out of here!" commanded the female Jounin.

"Hai" she replied as she took a grip of the old man's wrist and let him down the road away from all three fights. But only after a few steps, another shadow appeared in front of them but much shorter than the other clones.

Slowly he revealed himself to be Boba, a short fat man with a Hammer on his back. "Yare, yare, where do you think your go… bah!" the several Shurikens held by the Jounin were now scattered around the area once occupied by the newest foe.

"Go!" Kurenai said to Sakura. After getting a brief nod, she headed along another path with a drunkard builder on hand.

After a few moments of running, they ended up on side of a lake surrounded by three separate fights. "Hmph, glad we're out of that hell hole!" he looked at the worried girl then added, "Not much of a fighter now are you?" which pissed of the green-eyed Konoha Nin.

Farther away from the lake, three male Genins stood ground against a couple of Chunin level twins. "Alright Bakas, get ready to lose. Its three," a bark soon interrupted. "Oh… ano Gomen. Four to two! There's no way you're gonna win!" shouted the blonde.

The Uchiha made a soft chuckle, "Did you just apologize to a dog?" taunted Sasuke.

"Urusai Teme!" retorted the shorter Genin.

Now Kiba joined the argue, "Quit fucking arguing! I wanna kick their ass already".

On the other side of the battle, the two brothers were laughing at the poor display of teamwork. "Haha do you see that Onii-san. They're doing the job for us" They continued laughing not noticing two figures lurking in the shrubs nearby.

The blonde stopped his arguing and returned into through threats at the enemy, "Nani!? Who're you talking about! You're the one's that's gonna get beat up an a few seconds" he shouted. The other two stood next to him sharing the same goofy grin, which didn't look good with them.

"Eh? You're a weird kid, better kill ya now bef…" two pairs of legs came out of nowhere and knocked the brothers away. While falling, the foes watched the two out of the three teens poof out of existence. Two pairs of white long-sleeve arms popped from the ground holding down the fallen enemies.

Behind them they heard laughing. "Che, you guys don't look so tough down there now do ya?" the wild-looking boy said with his partner barking in agreement. "I can't even believe you'd fall for that"

"I can't believe the dobe was fighting with himself," the dark-haired boy added. He then heard grumbling from underneath the earth.

Both Tai and Tee were annoyed by the teen's smug faces. With little warning, the twins grasped on the two hands binding them and swung their jailor from the ground towards the sneering Genins.

The first poofed as it hit the ground, the other landed between his teammates. "Whoa! Stronger than I thought" the blonde said as he rose to his feet.

The dark-haired Shinobi pulled a smirk thinking about the only option left, "It's a head on fight from here" he said pulling two Kunais from his pouch then continued, "You losers ready?"

Before he could finish talking, the blonde teen flew towards the enemies with a familiar hand seal in place, "Who you callin' loser you angsty-teme! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" he cried. With those words ringing around the forest, fifteen Narutos surrounded Tee, while his brother was stuck between a two battle-ready Genins.

"What do you say Sasuke? Five minutes?" the blue-eyed Leaf Nin asked.

"Tch, me and dog boy got this in three" The Uchiha said glaring at his opponent.

"I don't give a flying jutsu how long this takes" The wild-looking boy ranted as he place his dog under his sweater.

The look on both twins showed great irritation, and simultaneously they shouted, "Buncha snot-nosed brats think you can defeat us!" each grabbing a wooden staff from their backs. And with the weapons drawn, the battle started.

Tai was the first to strike, trying to jab the Uchiha in the chest, but was parried by his elbow and with his other hand grabbed the side of the stick, bring it down, while Kiba took to the air and threw a fist to the enemy's face.

Next to them, Tee was furiously swinging his staff and luckily took out one of his clones. But the very second the staff lost its' momentum, two clones rushed and attempted to sweep the foes feet. The first clone failed and received a stomp to the face, the other jump at the last second attempting to get a decent mid-range kick, which was again blocked and caught. With a firm hold on the clone, he swung him around and threw him at another charging clone destroying both at the same time.

This time five clones rushed him from all angles trying to overwhelm him with numbers. The plan failed as he grabbed his pole of the ground and swung it hard catching the first clone and continued till the rest of the four were caught before driving them into the ground. Now six Narutos were left to fight.

With Sasuke and Kiba, their enemy was already worn down. His weapon was broken in half by a powerful axe kick by the Uchiha and three large wounds were visible on his left forearm, shoulder, and right calf inflicted by the teeth and Kunais of Kiba and Akamaru.

The dog-user once again charged the wounded enemy but was batted away by a half of a broken staff. Now it was the Uchiha's turn to attack, which he did able to get a grip of the other half of his weapon stealing it. Now two foes carried two halves of a stick. The Nins eyed each other, one trying to find an opening, and the other, stalling for time while his comrade tackles the rogue Shinobi from behind.

The dark-haired boy, having stalled enough, purposely dropped his guard provoking his foe to attack. After his first few steps, a bone crunching bite came at his already wounded calf and a foot flew towards the back of his head. Sasuke then nonchalantly held the pole out in front of him wait for a face to fall on it. 'CRACK' was all that was heard when his face met the hard, rounded end of the pole snapping it further into pieces.

Back with Naruto, Tai was counting off the rest of the clones still left. There was supposed to be six left but only counted five. Getting ready to charge the rest of the orange-wearing teens, he heard the earth beneath him grumble. He jumped to avoid the attack but was to late, two hands wrapped around each ankle and pulled him down, anchoring each leg down. Above him was a flipping Naruto that then dropped below screaming "Bunshin Kaiten Kakatou Otoshi". The after finishing his last somersault, a powerful kick came down that broke his opponent's staff while trying to block it.

Unknowingly behind the now finished clone were three mid-air clones. They cried, "Bunshin Taiatari" before sling-shooting the middle clone with high speed and strength, ramming the enemy. After falling hard back down and not being able to get back up due to his anchored feet, the real Naruto dropped down and stabbed the man with two Kunais to his heart and upper abdomens. A loud agonizing scream of pain rushed out of the Nin's mouth followed by his eternal sleep.

To his left, another scream came, but not from any physical pain, but from emotional pain watching his brother die by the hands of a young Genin. "ONII-SAN!" he yelled in anguish.

"You… YOU KILLED ONII-SAN!" different emotions struck him, but what seemed to hit him the most was fear. Barely able to run, he through his remaining smoke bombs to the floor trying to make an escape.

Both the Uchiha and the Inuzuka looked at the blonde curiously. After a dusting themselves off and holding a wounded Kiba on their shoulders, one finally decided to break the silence. "So how did it feel?" the wild-looking boy asked as the dog in his sweater whimpered.

"What are you talking about?" the blonde asked.

"Your first kill. He's lying there dead and you did that to him. Do you feel no remorse?" pried Sasuke.

The blonde dropped his head away from their view. In his heart, it sucked every time he killed someone, but as time went on, he'd accept it. Though it had been years since he killed a person in action and the guilt caused him to drop his masked temporarily. "What do you want me to say? That it felt great? That is was a thrill to take someone's life? Well I can't… it sucked! But its our job. One day it'll be our mission to kill purposely, whether we like it or not, we're still tools. How the hell am I supposed to do anything if I sulk every time I take a life. We are Shinobis, killing is a part of our life, and we accepted this job knowing our hands will be tainted red with the blood of our enemies, allies, and selves" He said all this while trying to bring back his smile.

Nevertheless, both teens were caught of guard at his profound answer expecting a more simple answer like 'ok I guess' or 'scary'. "Damn… I never thought about it that way. And I was sure as hell wasn't expecting to hear that from you" the tattoo-faced Genin said.

Quickly putting on a smile he looked back at his comrades. "Heh, number one unpredictable ninja right?" gladly chanting as he pounded his chest with his free hand.

"Wrong! Number one knuckled-headed unpredictable ninja" Sasuke said with a smirk causing Kiba to laugh and Naruto to pout.

Elsewhere two of team eight's Genin faced of with a large axe-wielding Mist Nin. "Looks like a caught a little girl and a fro kid. You think you kids could stand-up against my axe?" the overly muscled man asked as he watched the two kids get into a defensive position.

"It'd be wise of you to not underestimate us," Shino calmly said.

"W-we were made Shinobis for a r-reason" Hinata said half stuttering.

The large man took another step forward while whirling his axe in the air. "My buddy here hates smart mouths" the large man said.

The silent Kunoichi inched her way towards her teammate, grabbing him and throwing each other behind a tree trying to whisper, "Shino-kun I have a plan". Spending time with Naruto for the past years helped develop Hinata's to become cunning. Now for the first time, she will see how far she progressed fighting a Chunin level opponent that may rival the Akimichi clan's strength.

The large man chuckled as he watched the two teens plan out a strategy from behind a tree. Finally stopping the heavy weapon from swinging, he raised it up and held it next to him, and with a sudden burst of speed, he came charging at the huddled teammates. "Better watch out! I'm aiming for your heads chibis," he screamed as he swung his axe.

Suddenly the sound of metal slicing through wood then flesh was heard following a gasp form the lavender-eyed Genin watching her teammate's head separate from the rest of the body.

* * *

**You like the cliffy? Well originally, i said i might make my chapters longer (like 2ice as long) but i'd take longer to update, but i changed my mind and decided to keep my chapters about the same lenght and update sometime between 4-10 days.**

**Well PLEEEAASE Review. For those who actually DO! thnx lots! and you know who you are. BUt to those that don't go a head and give me your input, i allow anonymous reviews so go for it. (for some reasons, my reviews have been going down, three chapters ago i had almost twice as many... so whats going on!? well thanx again for reading. il update so0n!**


	13. More than the Stars

**Sorry it's been a while since i updated (i have another story im working on 'Spark of Memories' so i have to write a chapter for that too!)  
**

**Well let me say , "C'mon where's the reviews?" it seems like i got more reviews when Hinata and Naruto were broken up... Do you want to see _THAT_** **Happen again? DO YOU!? (makes a scary yamato face) SO... REVIEW!!  
**

**Well i hope you enjoy this chapter BE WARNED: IT CONTAINS VERY A FLUFFY SCENE.  
**

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto. But i do own the name i made up for Kurenai's unnamed flower techniques  
**

(a/n- Mushi Bunshin no Jutsu- Bug Clone Technique, Kori Shinchuu no Jutsu - Sly Mind Effect Technique, Magen: Jubaku Satsu - Demonic Illusion : Tree Binding Death, Suirou no Jutsu - Water Prison Technique, Hanabira Fukyuu no Jutsu - Flower Petal Separation Technique, Suiryuudan no Jutsu - Water Dragon Projectile Technique, Daibakufu no Jutsu - Great Waterfall Technique, Imouto - Little Sister )

* * *

Suddenly the sound of metal slicing through wood then flesh was heard following a gasp from the lavender-eyed Genin watching her teammate's head separate from the rest of the body.

The massive axe continued it's direction, cutting the entire tree in half. As the large oak came down, the speechless Genin jumped away to avoid the collision. "Haha, that was too easy!" the large man bellowed.

Quickly running around the tree, he inspected his handwork. But to his surprise, the corpse that was supposed to be lying dead beneath the tree was gone and replaced by a haze of bugs. "What the Hell?" the bewildered giant stated.

Then a few meters away stepped the bug user staring straight at the opponent. "A Mushi Bunshin, the real one is right here," the Aburame said calmly. This only irritated the Mist Nin further, and falling right for their trap, he chased the Genin between some trees.

Hidden within the leaves was Hinata performing a few hand seals. Finishing just on time she whispered, "Kori Shinchuu no Jutsu". The unaware foe then became victim to the lavender-eyed Kunoichi's Genjutsu.

To the foe's vision, the bug user had disappeared. Shino noticed his tracker was no longer a threat, he walked towards the wandering foe ready to initiate the second phase. His arms rose outwards allowing his bugs to slip through the sleeves, attaching themselves upon their confused prey.

Hinata was soon joined by her teammate upon a branch as they watched their dense enemy walked in circles around the tree. "It's actually pretty sad. To be able to fall prey so easily," the boy sighed.

The concentrated Hyuga then spoke up, "Shino-kun, how long will it take for your bugs to absorb his chakra?" already sweat forming on her forehead.

The stoic Genin looked at his comrade and replied, "Not too long. Can you hold out till then?" he asked receiving a simple nod. Though he did not say it, the bug user was impressed with her ability. He knew she graduated at the highest of all the girls, but he hadn't known of her cunning. Training in Genjutsu also paid off, as he easily noticed now.

She too was proud. The whole while, the teen thought about her 'Ruto-kun, pretending he was watching, motivating the girl to do well. Her own cunning surprised herself, surely proving the blonde was rubbing off. 'I only wish you were here to see us 'Ruto-kun' she thought to herself.

* * *

With Kurenai and Boba, The two had yet to actually fight. The whole time the unattractive man kept flirting with team eight's instructor. Finally having enough, she took several Shurikens from her pouch and launched them towards her enemy. "Perhaps this will shut you up!" she cried.

After seeing the projectiles approach, the foe speedily whipped out his mace and batted the star shaped metal away. Then to her surprise, he through his pole arms towards the Jounin. The speed was impressive, and she barely managed to dodge the blow. "Aww, you didn't really think I wanted to hurt that pretty little face of your now did you?" he asked jokingly.

Leaving him to actually believe she was small threat had been smart. Now approaching the enemy with a stiff glare, she began a series of hand seals then chanted, "Magen: Jubaku Satsu". Her body began to dissipate as a tree formed behind the startled opponent.

Slowly, starting from his feet up to his chest, he was being swallowed by the tree. The man began to panic, wriggling around attempting to escape his wooden prison. Just above him, came out Kurenai with a Kunai in hand, but before he she could make a stab, a loud grunt was heard in the direction of the two masked Nins.

Not having much time, she took the blunt side of the weapon and bashed it onto the side of her enemy's skull, knocking him unconscious. Quickly she tied him down onto a nearby tree before turning her attention back to the origins of the sound as the red-eyed Jounin dashed her way to aid her comrade.

* * *

The pink-haired Genin sat along the shores of the lake feeling bored, worried, disappointed, and angry. But what hurt her the most was the feeling of uselessness. There she sat next to a drunken old man doing nothing while five of her friends and their senseis were out fighting bad guys.

Even their employer knew how helpless she was. His comment still ringing in her head, 'Not much of a fighter now are you?'. And it was true. She was one of the worst hand-to-hand combatants in the academy. 'Sure I have some knowledge in jutsu, and my chakra control is one of the best in the academy, but what good is it really in a fight?' she thought while she sulked, digging her toes into the mushy sand.

She was soon startled out of her thoughts when the body of her sensei came flying through the air making a splash on the lake. The Genin was quick to run to help her Instructor but was repelled, "No Sakura! Get away! The water's not normal" suddenly a voice shouted saying 'Suirou no Jutsu' causing the surrounding liquid to swirl around the water-walking Cyclops forming a water bubble. "Kuso!" was all that was heard as the man punched the sides to get free.

The pink-haired girl stood in shock, as her powerful instructor was held captive in a fishbowl-like prison. Zabuza took notice in her frozen state and smirk. With his single hand, he focused to create a Mizu Bunshin though it was tough without both halves of the seal.

Three clones rose from the murky water, one staring straight at the Kunoichi. A wicked smile crept across his face as he moved towards the still paralyzed prey. Her brain ordered her body to move with no response. The only movable objects at her disposal were her eyes, which came to shut as soon as his might blade began its path towards her.

She felt it, death just moments away. All her senses went towards touch as she awaited excruciating pain to come… but nothing came. Only the rush of air swept passed her skin. Reluctantly, her eyes reopened just as water splashed onto her face. There, where the Zabuza clone should have been, stood Sasuke, two wet Kunais in both hands.

Behind her came an irritated voice, "Thanks a lot Teme! Next time you leave me hanging with Kiba to go play hero, warn me!" a blonde boy said as he limped out of the bushes supporting an injured Inuzuka on his shoulders. Both were dirtied-up from the knees down looking as if they had fallen into a puddle of mud.

The green-eyed teen held a slight blush towards his words, but did her best to hide it. 'Sasuke… came to rescue me?' she thought.

"**Hell Yeah! It was only a matter of time till he falls for you. Now you got proof"** The inner Sakura cheered, her outer self still blushing.

Slowly her gaze fell upon her savior. The boy instantly froze, thought he didn't regret saving her teammate, he did shudder at the thought of the fan-girls praise and thanks he'd receive. And already before taking another glance, she was In front of him. The raven-haired boy stared back at her with a no emotion, waiting for the massive energetic hug he'd receive… then he wondered why it was taking long.

Her eyes met his and wondered about the strange look she received. "Ano… Sasuke-kun…" he crossed his arms, trying to deny her a comfortable hug, "Arigato…" she said.

Now the Uchiha was confused. He raised an eyebrow and accidentally murmured, "That's it?" the minute the two trivial words were spoken, his mouth shut. Sakura in the other hand grinned from cheek to cheek inwardly.

A small smirk came across her face as she began to tease him, "Nani? Did you expect me to hug you every time I get help?" she playfully said. She smiled, Sasuke froze again, and Naruto and Kiba laughed their heads off.

Two words killed the brief moment of reprieve. "Mizu Bunshin" came out of the dark-eyed boy's mouth, causing the old timer to carefully walk towards his smaller bodyguards. Naruto and Sasuke sprung into a defensive stance between the Kunoichi, the injured, and the employer.

It hadn't struck him until that very moment, "Oi Sakura! Where's Hinata-chan?" The blonde expected her to be fine but needed to know anyways.

Him asking of the lavender-eyed girl's whereabouts only added to her suspicion, but this was neither the place nor the time for such matters. She wasn't sure if she was afraid to tell him or not, but the words came hesitantly to her, "Hinata? Ano… well she's kinda fighting this big guy with an axe" she then winced expecting him to yell.

"Hmph. She'll be fine, I have faith in her" the blue-eyed Genin said turning around to flash her a foxy grin.

"Naruto!" the raven-haired boy shouted, alerting the boy to dodge what would have been a fatal hit with the clone's sword. "Dobe! Pay attention when you're fighting" he said giving him a quick glare before dodging another strike.

The Uchiha was right, he needed to focus, but it was tough since inside he really was worried. It wasn't because he felt she was weak. It was actually the opposite. He felt she would over do it just to prove she wasn't weak. But still he would have to put that worry aside for now less he wanted to get skinned alive.

Kiba cursed quietly for letting himself get injured in the fight. Now he could do nothing but watch as his two comrades fight for their lives. "Kuso! I feel so useless" he murmured getting a whimper of a reply from his canine partner.

"It's only because you're injured. It's not like you're always useless when a fight breaks out. Sent out as look out on missions, or sent to stand idly considering how much of a hindrance you can be" The girl ranted. She felt ashamed at how weak she was, even Hinata participated in the fight. It made her wonder how she even got the second highest grades in the academy out of all the girls. 'I bet even Ino isn't this useless… hell I bet that dead last Shikamaru is doing better than me' she sadly thought.

And just as sadly… it was true. Ino was indeed useful because of her family's Kekke Genkai. Shikamaru was also far from useless. Only a selected few knew of his insane brainpower, but it would hardly ever be used in his younger days.

All the while Kiba sat there looking at the Kunoichi. He was never good at comforting people. The day Hinata was disappointed waking up from the Genjutsu she fell under during their Genin exams, he just stood there while Shino comforted her with his logic. Instead he unzipped his jacket a bit, enough letting Akamaru out free. The dog was great at cheering people up and proved his abilities correct, wagging his tail and rubbing his head against the depressing girl's leg while she watched Naruto and Sasuke stare down their opponent.

Meanwhile the two fighting Konoha Shinobis briefly checked their remaining equipment. So far after a few minutes of fighting, together they brought down four clones only to be replaced by another. "He keeps sending out more Mizu Bunshins. There's no way we can tire him out like this" the raven-haired boy said taking another glimpse at the real Zabuza.

The blonde sighed at the situation, "We need to take out the real one… Kuso! We can't even get anywhere near them without leaving those guys" he said glancing at the three people from the corner of his eye.

And as if Kami himself heard their inward prayers, a stern but feminine voice came from their sides, "Leave the big guy to me. Look's like your sensei's not as good as he makes out" she said with a smirk, though even being several meters away and trapped behind a two inch hard liquid prison, he was able to read her lips and scowl at the statement.

Everyone present, with the exception of the enemy, instantly perked up at her sight. "We'll make you a path Kurenai-san," the blonde said cheerfully. And ending with his words, he shot out towards a Mizu Bunshin as he made an ox hand seal creating a clone of his own, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he shouted. Nearly twenty clones came out, each charging head on towards the enemy's minions, dog-piling it while Kurenai ran past the orange mess.

Quickly she approached performing hand seals of her own. The masked foe knew she was performing a Genjutsu, thus ordered all his clones to focus on her. Just as two separate swords came to dice her up, she shouted, "Hanabira Fukyuu no Jutsu" suddenly turning her into thousands of cherry blossoms. The two swords swished through the air landing against the others body, expelling both foes.

The cloud of petals began to swirl around, then again, approached the Nin. He could feel the petals consume him, his skin burned as if it were deteriorating. Had only two choices, one he could release his deadly foe from his watery jail and expel the Genjutsu, or he could let himself become consumed by the pink petals and hope Haku was there to help him escape.

The one eyed Jounin soon flopped onto the liquid surface below; the enemy had chosen the first.

The Mist Nin was now fully aware and pissed. Quickly getting full control of his sword, he slashed down onto the female Jounin, just scratching her right arm. It would have made full contact if the scarecrow hadn't held his arm back just in time.

Seeing his comrade out in a safe position, he jumped off his back dodging another blow from the masked Nin. Zabuza now faced two powerful Jounins, both had more chakra to spare then him, yet his pride prevented his escape. Quickly he went through a series of complicated hand seals and to his surprise, the red-eyed Cyclops did the exact same, relatively in unison.

And again to his surprise, both Jounins shouted simultaneously, "Suiryuudan no Jutsu". Two large water dragons then sprouted from the lake clashing into each other in a massive misty explosion.

Momochi was indeed unnerved at the speed his opponent was able to copy, yet still he did not stop. His intense focus on defeating the Copy Cat Nin left him vulnerable to the other Jounin. Before he could finish the last string of seals, twin Kunais whizzed from the sides slicing his arm and cutting his backhand. Messing up his jutsu, he was now vulnerable to Kakashi as he chanted, "Daibakufu no Jutsu" sending a swirl of water around the Jounin then rushing towards the wounded foe.

All the observing Genin were at awe with the battle as it drew to a close. The teams were quick to rush towards the fallen enemy. Before any of them could finish off the job, three senbons came flying towards the Mist Nin. Two Jounin heads whipped around towards the direction of the enemy's weapons and from there a Mist Hunter Nin came and checked out the body of Zabuza. The three exchanged nods, and before anyone could say another word, the blonde struggled his way towards them. "Matte! The Hunter Nin, stop…" but it was too late. Within those brief seconds, both masked Nins have teleported away.

"What was that Naruto?" the scarecrow asked.

The blonde slumped his shoulders and sighed, "…nothing" he said regrettably. Kakashi was just about to ask again when the rest of the troupe came.

"Kakashi-sensei, that was amazing" cheered Sakura, while Sasuke smirked in agreement.

"Hell yeah, can't believe he got his ass taken out by flowers" chuckled Kiba, but received an elbow on his side. Team seven's instructor also joined the chuckle before getting a glare from his peer.

Out of exhaustion, he took his hand and leaned it on Kurenai, who still glared at him, and if not for his true worn-out state, she would have let him fall where he stood. "Well now that was taken care of lets get the rest of the team together" Naruto was suddenly put in a slight state of panic.

"Kuso! Where's Hinata-chan! I… I have to find her" the blonde yelped in concern causing those to be present to look at him curiously, all except Sakura who had a devilish grin on her.

She sluggishly approached the panicked boy, "Oh and why do you care so much?" she cooed.

"Urusai Sakura! I need to find her" he retorted as he ran to the forest. The boy was put to a halt as he heard a familiar voice.

"I'm right here 'Ruto-kun" she said with a slight blush. The indigo-haired girl had her arm around Shino's shoulder for support due to her exhaustion. He let her down as she was caught by the blue-eyed boy.

Putting on a big grin and getting her in a tight embrace he said, "'Nata you're ok. I knew you'd be fine, but you still had me worried". He gently loosened his grasp and settled his forehead upon hers before continuing, "You over did it again didn't you?" he asked.

She let out an adorable smile and nodded slightly, "Maybe just a tad" she said giggling. "I guess you're rubbing off on me," the girl whispered causing him to pout.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the young Uzumaki questioned as he smirked. Hinata tried to answer him but a pair of rugged lips caught hers. The two stood there kissing oblivious to the seven others watching.

A single shriek completely killed the moment. "Eek! I knew it! I knew something was going on between those two. The couple quickly stopped and turned to the crowd both wearing dark red tinted masks.

Two embarrassed sets of eyes looked at the group. Sakura was grinning wildly humming to the tune 'here comes the bride', Sasuke stood looking away pretending not to be interested but was caught with a blush of his own from watching the two, Kakashi also held a huge grin, giggling like a school girl as his fingers frilled across his mouth, Kurenai smiled adoringly at the two youths, and both Kiba and Shino gave different degrees of overprotective glares.

"Actually Sakura, these two have been together for quite some time now right Naruto?" he said winking at the boy. He then rummaged through his pocket to find an older version of his favorite book, tossing it toward the boy. "Story four: the Princess and the Stable Boy" he said with an even bigger grin earning a stomp from the rookie Jounin.

She walked up towards the two, almost causing the leaning scarecrow to fall, taking back the perverted book, which the boy gladly gave away now blushing remembering the first time Kakashi mentioned the story. His gaze went back towards the wobbly heiress, who he now imagined wearing a formal and elegant attire. The boy was about to get a nosebleed until the girl nearly swayed onto the floor from all the awkwardness.

A pink blur was quick to grab her and walk out of his reach saying something about girl talk before heading out. They were soon followed by two Jounins, a bridge builder, and a scowling Uchiha. He too was about to leave when two separate hands came down on his shoulder. Turning around he met the gaze of two of team eight's glaring Shinobis.

Kiba was first to speak, "So Naruto. I hope this thing with you and Hinata is legit" he said.

Shino soon followed, "We may have not been a team for long, but she is our teammate and we've come to see her like our imouto"

"And we'd hate to see her get hurt, 'cause if she does" Kiba was then interrupted by the blonde.

"Really you guys. Me and 'Nata are good. We've actually been together long before you guys became a team. And trust me, she's the heiress, so even if by the non-existent chance I do hurt her, which I definitely won't, I'd have the entire Hyuga clan on my ass" and it was true. This was enough to settle down the overprotective.

* * *

The short walk towards Tazuna's house was awkward for the young couple. Both were constantly bashed with questions, some holding perverted hidden meanings from a certain Cyclops. Thankfully it wasn't long until they met the poverty-stricken town.

The group quickly made their way towards Tazuna's house where they could get a well-earned rest from the day's pressures. Kurenai, as soon as she got the chance, dumped his body onto the futon lying on the floor. She too took out the extra futon and laid it a good distance away from the pervert after thanking Tsunami for the hospitality. The rest of the Genin group took their spot around the living room. Five sleeping bags were sprawled across the floor leaving one to be missing.

Outside, Naruto took his sleeping bag and placed it at the foot of a tree. He preferred the serenity of the starry night sky rather than the hot and stuffy living room. He kneeled onto his quickly made bed and sat his back against the tall tree. His eyes stayed fixed upon the indigo colored sky, which made him think about a certain indigo-haired girl. And with perfect timing, the spoken girl made her way towards the blonde curious to what he was up to.

"Ano, 'Ruto-kun. Why are you sleeping out here?" she asked still walking towards him.

"You match" he said confusing the girl. "Ano I mean that your hair… it matches the sky" he continued as he took her hand and brought her onto his lap. "And you eyes… they kinda remind me of lavender moons" he added as she starred wondering aimlessly into his eyes. To her regret, he looked away briefly to gaze upon the heavens once more. "Maybe that's why I like sleeping out here. It all reminds me of you" she felt small tears roll down her cheek as she kissed him in the corner of his mouth.

"And I like sleeping out here 'cause you're here" she whispered against his cheek. He closed his eyes and hummed. "I can sleep out here with you, right?" the girl asked with her infamous puppy dog eyes. Without even a second glance, the boy stood up and walked inside the house leaving a confused and pouting girl behind. But just as fast as he entered, he was back out carrying a lavender sleeping bag.

Hinata stood up smiling again and zipped up his sleeping bag all the way, spreading it like bed sheets across the floor as if she read his mind. He soon was behind the lavender-eyed heiress, taking her by the waist and dragging her down next to him, the boy sitting exactly where he was and the girl lying down next to him, her head against his chest. "…'Nata… having you here right now… I just… I really love it… I mean I love you," he said trying to find the right words to say.

He didn't know it but those words couldn't have been said better in the loving Kunoichi's opinion. "I love you too 'Ruto-kun… I love you more than anything" she said bringing her head onto the crook of his neck.

"More than the stars?" the teen asked trying to look at his young love.

"More than all the stars combined" she whispered onto his skin.

"Good! 'cause I love you more than all the stars times a hundred" he said happily.

She then wanted to participate in his silly games, "Well I love you more than all the stars times infinity," she said kissing the side of his neck.

The blonde shifted his head a bit to meet her loving gaze. "Well I love you more than every single twinkling thing times a million and ten… And I need you more than oxygen… And I want you more than a sea of ramen… And I'll protect you like Kakashi protects what's under his mask and then… ano…" he said between kisses then stopped when he ran out of stuff to say.

"And you'll stay with me forever and not care if the end doesn't rhyme" she added giggling.

"Ok" was all he said before he bent down and kissed her passionately on the lips. It seemed like an eternity to them, just melting on each other, no longer feeling attached to the outside world. Their surrounding was irrelevant, the nearly non-existent space between them didn't matter, nor did time seem to have affected them. It was just a boy and a girl. Opposite in appearance, similar at heart, and loved each other more than anything the world had seen in ages.

Unknown to them, a pair of dark eyes peered at the two unintentionally. Though a part of him smiled silently whispering 'dobe' to the boy. Quickly trying to find something different to look at, his eyes fell upon a pink sleeping bag on the couch of the living room. He took the time and thought about random thoughts until an image of Naruto and Hinata outside managed to slip into his thoughts, looking at the pink sheet again he said faintly, "Maybe…" turning his head around back towards the outside.

Suddenly a voice came from behind him, "Maybe what?" a pink-haired girl asked. She then saw two figures sleeping under the base of a tree. She smiled at the cute couple then looked at the handsome boy next to her. 'Maybe one day' she thought then inwardly gasp at the similar words spoken, but put it aside not wanting to ruin her chance at friendship. But inside her she wanted more than anything to just lean on his shoulder and watched the night along with the raven-haired boy.

His head shifted to look at pink hair. "We should go to bed now… I mean in separate be…" he said trying to clear up the coincidental slip.

"I know what you meant," she giggled. The two slipped in their respective sleeping quarters and laid down to dream. A huge smile shot across her face when she could have sworn he heard the boy say just as he was falling asleep, 'one day… Sakura'.

* * *

**Ok let me explain a few things before you start asking Questions. The reason why Boba was left unconscious is because she didn't have time to deal with him, and i kinda need him alive in the next chapter :P. The reason Taro was left there (he wasn't dead) partially because Shino had to help carry Hinata, and they couldn't drag his body all the way to their teammates as well as i too need him alive in the next Chap :P. I will explain that they didn't forget to kill them. :)  
**

**And remember... PLEASE REVIEW!! I accept all kinds of feed back, One word/line Reviews is greatly appreciated, if you feel like you need to flame, atleast give me pointers on how to make this fic better please. I feel like less and less you of guys find my fic entertaining. I need to know you guys like it so please review... Don't make me follow up on my threat earlier...**


	14. Running Vertical

**April 19, Just got a New Beta that helped me out on this older chap. Thanks Mucho 'The Forgotten Hero'  
**

**Hey you guys miss me? ok ok i know, i'm REALLY SORRY. I have no excuse for being 3 months late in submitting the next update. I'm just glad that i got back my writing mojo. Half of this is from a few months ago, the other half is from today(well recent depending on when you read this) so do you think it changed???**

**OH and i almost forgot. If you haven't noticed, i finished my rewrite. The BIGGEST CHANGES are the first two chapters. BE SURE TO READ THOSE TWO CHAPTERS CAUSE IT HOLDS VITAL PLOT CHANGES THAT ARE CRUCIAL IN UNDERSTANDING THE PLOT. i've also fixed a few things from the other chapters just so it'll hold the plot. I mentioned some of the changes on the last announcement so read that to get the little things. Each chapter has a quick summary at the top of what i changed so that also helps.**

**Well i really hope i didn't lose alot of my loyal readers. I know some of you are mad but please forgive. I've been busy(lame excuse i know) but it's true. So Once again SORRY and THANK YOU to all my patient readers. well enjoy**

**Disclaimer: i claim to disclaim that claiming naruto is not for me to claim so i disclaim that fact... i dont own naruto**

a/n: (Housenka no Jutsu - mythical fire phoenix technique, Kaenhira no jutsu - flaming palm technique, Urusai - shut up, Oniouja - demon chief)

* * *

Running Vertical

A pink-haired preteen sat quietly on the porch of Tazuna's home. She couldn't shake the thought of Sasuke's drifting words. Now a logical person would analyze the situation to conclude that his brief statement can bring countless of different notions, yet she seems to be interested, or more towards denied any other possibilities than, in the thought of the usually broody Uchiha to have developed feelings for her.

Now thinking back at the time, he only said the words 'maybe' then later whispered 'one day… Sakura', and while a normal person wouldn't jump to conclusions about the four simple words, Sakura was far from normal. She well took in the account that he was just looking at the sleeping form of Naruto and Hinata, and then she too said those exact words. Does that mean he does feel what she feels? **"There! You have your proof! Claim him NOW! It's obvious so skip the whole friend act and GET HIM,"** shouted the inner Sakura. You can say it is obvious which side she was in the argument of jumping into conclusions.

Thankfully, she was given a more sensible side… mainly her 'outer' Sakura. Yes, it was true that if she asked her crush what he was thinking about last night, it might wreak some serious benefits; then again, it could also ruin their relationship. Her train of thought suddenly came to a halt when the said young man walked through the front door.

Slowly the dark-haired boy approached, almost giving the girl a look of… wanting. Sakura rose to her feet, ready to give him a friendly welcome when stopped short. He was standing in front of her holder both her hands with his. Without speaking a word, he told her everything she wanted to her. Then to flood the already full cup with more shock, he leaned in to her.

Two lids came to close, trying to usher as much senses as she can to her lips, ready to feel something amazing. That one second felt like a million, waiting for that tingly sense on her pink pads. Then finally, it happened… but not exactly how she thought would happen.

So bad did she want to open her eyes, but she was too afraid to look, 'Did he just LICK ME?' Finally, she mustered the courage and opened her eyes, and indeed, there stood a blurred face of Uchiha Sasuke with his tongue out. Before she could even say another word, he leaned in again and liked her cheek.

Sakura had a few options. One, she could blush and run away, two, she could slap him for being perverted, three, she could lick him back, though it would be awkward, or four she could smile and accept the odd sign of affection. She ended up going with option four, though she would later on get a major surprise.

* * *

Elsewhere, a young couple lay on a foot of an old tree. Both were tightly snuggled against one another as an orange sleeping bag sprawled over them. Any one who so happens to see the young couple would automatically think it as 'kawaii', which was exactly what the two spectators were thinking at first, before their more mature senses kicked in.

Dark blue bangs slid down a pale face. One slid across her cheek, the other between her eyes. There, lightly tinted lavender was greeted by a burnt orange. Then, Hinata figured that the color she was looking at was the shirt her boyfriend wore under his mainly white hooded sweater.

Her soft lips curled to a smile as she snuggled closer to the blonde-haired male. The small movement was enough to wake him from his tender slumber. Hinata felt his chest shift as he attempted to look at the person using him as a pillow. She looked up at his bright blue eyes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Morning 'Ruto-kun." She said quietly.

His drool encrusted lips lazily smiled back, "Morning my hime. How'd you sleep?" he asked, voice still groggy from just awakening

She was about to answer when her nose crinkled in a cute manner just before giggling, "Eww Ruto-kun, you have morning breath" she said then wiped some drool off the corner of his mouth.

Naruto blushed a bit but then made a playful scowl at the comment, "Oh yeah?" he said while exhaling even more morning breath causing the lavender-eyed girl to slightly back away while cringing her nose cutely. It was here that he saw his chance and took it. The Blondie threw his face at the girl, snuggling his nose in the crook of her neck earning more giggles.

Somewhere in their playful scuffle, a bright flash came unnoticed following a very noticeable sound of a woman clearing her throat. Two wide pairs of eyes shot towards the direction of the sound. In front of them stood both their senseis, one was holding a camera while wearing a small smirk, the other having a tender look in her eyes while making a stern scowl.

Wanting to break the silence, the red-eyed women spoke up, "Well I hoped you enjoyed yourself because that's the last time we'll let you sleep alone together." She said with authority. Before anyone could object, she glared at everyone, which included her fellow Jounin, who she wanted to smack, not for doing anything in particular, but simply for being a pervert in a time like this.

However, Kakashi, knowing that if Kurenai says something in that voice, it is law, was happy that he would at least have a souvenir of the moment sitting in his camera. 'This could easily become a great Christmas card' he thought.

"K-Kurenai-sensei, this isn't what it looks like! I-we were just ano…" Hinata stopped her excuse and melted at the heated look the woman in front of her was giving.

"Mmhmm, and just what is it not supposed to look like?" she asked slightly sarcastically. Although the position they were in were pretty compromising. Naruto was half on top of Hinata with his legs entangled with hers. His arms were wrapped underneath Hinata's sweater and her hands where resting on his back, underneath his shirt. Both blushed furiously while Hinata also gave a look of guilt.

"No wait! It was my fault she was out here. She just wanted to keep me company… and I guess it was a bit cold… so…" damn, somehow his attempt to cover up the situation just made it worse.

Kurenai looked back between the two teens then another look at the visibly weakened jounin to her side, who was still smirking at the situation, before sighing. "Look, I really don't mind for you two having a healthy relationship. But I will not stand in having myself force to tell your father that his daughter got pregnant on a mission" she said, making her point very clear and causing the two to go even more wide-eyed and flushed.

Oddly enough, the thought never really registered between the two. Sure, they were not strangers to typical signs of affection, but they were nowhere near in doing anything like that. Shoot, they have not even used tongues in their signs of affection, but that did not mean neither have been tempted to do so.

To both Naruto and Hinata's greatest relief, Kami blessed them with an ironic distraction. A loud ear-piercing scream from the direction of the upstairs portion of the house startled the two. Both Jounin rushed towards the room followed by a still flushed pair of teens.

* * *

"HE LICKED ME!" Sakura screamed, angrily pointing to a small white dog cowering behind his owner. Kiba, on the other hand, thought the situation was hilarious and had very hard time breathing from all the laughter.

Quick footsteps were heard which marked the entry of both Kakashi and Kurenai. "What in Kami's name is going on here?" the red-eyed women asked.

Having Sakura so thoroughly heated only left a hard-breathing dog user to clarify. After finally getting enough air to satisfy him, Kiba began to explain, "Ha-ha… oh, well, Akamaru thought Sakura was having a nightmare or something. Said, she was saying Sasuke's name and kept rolling over, so he decided to wake her up… guess the only thing that worked was licking her face. It looked like she enjoyed it at first… she kept saying Sasuke all over until she woke up" he said on the losing side of holding in his laughter. To Sakura's relief, Sasuke was in the dining room not caring what antics were happening across the hall.

Kakashi just had to laugh, not really about the situation, but of the irony. There they were accusing Naruto and Hinata for doing something indecent, while it actually happened in here the whole time. After a quick chuckle, he took the situation in his own hands, "Ok settle down, let's just calm our selves and head to the table. Breakfast is getting ready… and I'm sure we all want to forget this morning's fiascos, right Naruto?" he said, using his exposed eye to look at the blushing blonde-haired Shinobi, who had just walked into the room.

Sakura could only wonder what happened that made Naruto, of all people, blush like that. Then she remembered how, or more importantly who he was sleeping with last night. Certain thoughts rushed to her head and soon she too took on a pink color.

Naruto quickly took the hand that was holding onto Hinata's hand and threw it behind his head, while she took her now free hand and began twiddling her fingers. "Ne, yeah that sounds like a good idea. C'mon Hinata-chan, let's go get breakfast", and as quick as he could inhale ramen, the couple was out the door.

A few rooms away, Shino and Sasuke waited patiently for the others. Tsunami was busy cooking breakfast; Tazuna had actually woken early and headed down to the bridge, while Inari probably kept sleeping.

After a few moments, a slightly blushing Naruto and Hinata, a fuming Sakura, a hard-breathing Kiba, and two Jounin that felt they were in dire need of a relaxing hot spring joined the two.

Neither stoic Gennin had a clue to what was going on upstairs, and by the looks of the other members, perhaps it would be better to ignore the topic.

* * *

It was not long until both teams and the housing's residents were seated around a somewhat cramped table. Several different but equally wonderful aromas wafted through the air catching the attention of the hungry ninjas.

Tsunami was last to sit, just coming out of the kitchen with the last of the course meals, which consisted of cooked pork in a steaming warm soup. The added dish was a delightful addition to the already large buffet of eatery. After several thanks for Tsunami and a very boisterous cry of Itadakimasu, the group began their meal.

Deciding to break the ice, Tsunami began, "I hope everyone slept well. I'm sorry if we don't have enough room to house everyone," ending it with a sincere smile.

The energetic, blonde ninja looked up from his bowl to see her grin and replied, "It was great. Best sleep I got in forever" giving off a toothy grin in return.

Unable to let the opportunity go to waste, Kakashi added, "I'd bet" sprinkling his words with innuendo. This earned him a hard glare from the red-eyed jounin and a double blush from the implied couple.

The host could only smile at the scene before her. The scarecrow continued with his snickering and side comments; Kurenai with her attempts too keep everything appropriate; Hinata held her blush while Naruto occasionally flirted; Sakura continued her coos; and Kiba grumbled something about blonds and pinks. Both Shino and Sasuke kept to themselves, though the more broody one could not help but catch a few remarks about what ever happened to the pink-haired girl earlier that morning.

Sometime during the lively feast Naruto to took the time to watch those around him. He lowered his head and rested his chin on the table with a content smile plastered on his face. 'I bet this is what it feels like to be part of a real family' he thought happily.

The pupil-less kunoichi observed the boy's action from the corner of her tinted eyes. She took one of her hands and placed in on his back, massaging it gently as she softly asked, "you ok ''Ruto-kun?" She did not see the relaxed grin on his face so was unsure if he had a stomachache for eating so fast.

The blond simply sat up and looked back at the girl. "Fine" was all he said as he took his hand with hers. It surprised her that he seemed so happy, not that he was not happy before; it was just that at that moment, and he seemed more comfortable then he would normally show. She was just glad that he felt good that the reasons were dismissed. In turn, she squeezed his hand a bit and resumed her eating, but kept their hands held between.

Kakashi watched the people eat so peacefully around the table. He had finished eating within seconds, not giving any even a glimpse of what lay under his mask. Several times he was tempted to whip out his book and read, but that would be rude and Tsunami had been more that hospitable towards the quartering ninjas. Instead, he excused himself, "Well if you'd excuse me, I'll be out on the porch. Team, meet me in front when you finish. We have training to do" he gave a quick bow as thanks to the cook and exited.

The other jounin took a quick look at the exiting Nin with a hint of curiosity. "Excuse me as well," she stated, bowing just before she took her leave. Most of the people at the table eyed the two as they left the dining room but soon resumed their meals, that is, before Naruto made a comment about adults being hypocritical earning a playful slap to the leg from Hinata.

Kurenai rounded the corner to see Kakashi sitting on the porch bench reading his famous orange book. She took a seat next to him, not even sparing him a glance. "Anything on your mind Kakashi?" the jounin asked. She had been able to read him somewhat, a foot worth praise in itself.

Slowly he put the book down on his lap, keeping his thumb in the middle as to not lose his page. He continued to stare out into the woods before continuing, "That hunter-nin… it wasn't protocol. He should have dealt with Zabuza's body at the spot. I have a feeling it was a ploy," he finished, raising his book back to eye level.

The red-eyed women turned her head to the senior jounin, "So he'll be back I presume. Do you think the Gennin could handle this?" she asked a bit worried this time.

The jounin thought about it for a minute. Surely, the next fight will as dangerous, if not more than the previous. "It won't be just Zabuza next time. Nevertheless, I think we can pull through albeit we get a few bruises and scratches. It's just a matter of when" he said with a straight face. Just as the Genjutsu expert was just about to ask, Kakashi stood up and added, "About a week. It'll take time before Zabuza will be able to fight near full strength" as he walked into the forest as he asked Kurenai to gather the rest and meet up with him at the clearing up ahead.

* * *

Inside Tsunami had already begun the dishes with the help of Sakura and Hinata while the boys stayed in the living room to discuss their fight.

The young Inuzuka patted the small white dog on his lap as he thought about the rest of the mission. "You guys think we'll be fighting more guys like that masked Nin?" he asked. No doubt they would but only time would tell.

"It would be wise to prepare for such. If our enemy would hire a rouge Nin of his status, I am sure he would not give up now. It's only conclusive that things would become increasingly dangerous from this point on" his voice coming out sounding very analytical, much expected from an Aburame.

The group became eerily quite after that, until a certain blond decided to break it up, "That doesn't matter. We are strong, are we not? Moreover, we got two jounin with us. We'll beat them up for sure no matter who we fight," bellowed the Gennin. Sure, it was just a tactic to raise the spirit with the group and sincere or not, it helped lighten the mood. Naruto eased back on the couched before stretching back, "We'll do just fine. I'm sure of it" he finished.

Sasuke glanced at the boy and smirked, "Coming from the guy who was almost sliced in half 'cuz he has the attention span of a rodent" the boy said, testing the blond. Of course, he got his desired reaction in form of a pissed off Naruto.

Thankfully the two girls had gotten back before any roughhousing got out of hand, "You guys ready?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked as she fixed her hair, placing the hitai-ate back on her head. It did not surprise her to see Naruto standing on the chair glaring at Sasuke, as he showed no reaction at all.

Kurenai was next to come in, holding the bridge of her nose looking at the commotion. 'They're supposed to be Gennin…' the jounin thought. She quickly calmed the blond down, with the help of her student indigo-haired student and led the troop of Gennin out to meet Kakashi.

* * *

The named jounin was slumped against the base of a tree. Naturally, he had his nose deep within the book, not noticing, or rather not caring, that a caterpillar had crawled on top of his head. This is exactly how the two teams found him. The sound of chuckles was enough to make the Cyclops look up from his novel. "Yo" he said in his characteristic voice.

The Gennins lined up in their designated group in front of their instructors. Kurenai was first to speak, "In the next several days we'll be working on chakra control and stamina exercises," she took out a kunai for each teen and handed it to them.

All eyes went towards the one-eyed jounin as he began to walk up the trunk of a nearby tree. "This is your first task. Learn to harness the chakra at the soles of your feet, use the precise amount of chakra, then do as I do" the scarecrow quickly made a slash on the bark with a kunai. "Mark at the peek of each try" he said as he continued his walk onto the bottom of a branch, hanging upside down. With the kunai that he held in his hand, he threw it beneath him, going up, and dug into the bottom of the highest branch. "When you get this far, you learn to walk down slowly" demonstrating as he descended at a slow walking pace.

Those below gazed at the great height of the tree, some began sweating just thinking about the enormous task it will be… all except a certain blond. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, I already know this one," Naruto hollered above, hands behind his head and eyes wincing at the bright light above.

Kakashi grounded himself then looked at the young blond. "Hand me that kunai up there within ten seconds and I'll you skip out and buy you ramen when we get back," he said almost sarcastically. However, it was too late, the bait was set and the trap sprung. Like a flash Naruto sprinted up towards the tree, the rest of the group, except Hinata, rolled their eyes. However, not far enough to miss seeing the boy accidentally trip on a giant root that stuck out of the forest floor.

It happened so fast that the onlookers did not even get a slow motion response. The image rivaled watching a rake tip over. Laughter filled that air as Kakashi let out a sigh and continued his countdown, "8...7", and again there shot Naruto. This time it was a clear run from the top of the tree. "3...2...1... Thud" came a sound as the kunai embedded itself in front of the feet of its owner's sensei.

A streak of blond came down landing in front of the group with a victorious grin. "How ya like that se-" he began before being cut off by two unexpected words.

"You lose" Kakashi said blatantly.

Naruto looked at his instructor incredulously, "Nani!" and before he was able to go on his rant, the jounin took the kunai from the floor and gave it to the blond.

He lowered down to meet him at eye level putting on his signature curved eye smile, "I said 'hand' it to me, not get it to me. Practice with everyone, you leave when the last person finishes," he said ignoring the massive scowl the blond had put on. The scarecrow stepped back and eyed the crowd, "The rest of you… get started," earning a collection of sighs, 'hai's, and nods.

* * *

For the next few hours, the Gennin trained. The first was Hinata who reached the top of the tree her first time getting the approval of the blond and her sensei. After waving good-bye, she left with Kurenai for guard duty at the bridge. Next was Sakura who completed the training several minutes later. Shino came half way within that hour as well as Sasuke but neither were a loud to leave until they finished it completely. Moreover, the whole time Naruto was forced to run up and down the tree.

The sun began to set by the time they had finished. Kiba made it past the halfway point, but when forced only to rely on chakra, he fell short each time, just making it half way. The Uchiha had glared daggers at the blond, secretly envious of him and hating himself having to lose to him this round.

Kakashi stretched out after arising from his resting spot at the base of the same tree he was earlier with a familiar caterpillar perched on his white locks. "Alright, we'll resume training tomorrow. Naruto, Sasuke, get the girls and meet us back at the house," finished the white-haired man returning to his book as he walked towards a comfortable futon waiting for him.

The males of team eight shared nods with the others before following Kakashi back to Tazuna's place. Naruto was about to turn the other way towards the bridge when Sasuke called out. "Hey, what happened about our deal?" he said trying to not sound eager.

The blond raised a hooked eyebrow, "Huh?" he said just after jumping out of the way of several small balls of fire. "What the hell was that for teme?" he shouted.

The dark-haired Gennin gave him a smug looked, "Housenka no Jutsu. Teach me your technique I'll teach you mine," he said walking towards the boy.

Naruto knew what technique he was speaking of. They made a deal a while back that if Sasuke would teach him a katon jutsu, he would teach him his homemade Kaenhira no Jutsu. He let out a smirk as he made his version of the ox seal and whispered faintly before summoning a kage bunshin. The doppelganger gave a nod and rushed towards the bridge, not even needing a verbal order, showing how his training with his clones paid off. "Wanna bet?" he asked turning his head to face his comrade.

"First to learn the other's jutsu wins?" he added.

With a nod the young Uzumaki finished, "same wager, loser does a d-rank," referring to a d-rank mission in which the loser has to fill in for the winner.

It was an easy yes for the Uchiha. Their last bet about how long Sakura could go without talking to either on them had given the win to Naruto, turning the score into a tie. Not only could he get that little insignificant win, he would also get the chance to one up him in completing Naruto's own jutsu. Sasuke lined himself up with the blonde. "Focus on breathing…" he started.

* * *

By the time they got back, dinner was just about to be served and two angry instructors greeted them. Lecture aside dinner had turned out pleasant. "Tomorrow we cycle who trains and who's on guard duty. My team will practice tomorrow from morning until afternoon and Team 8 will be at the bridge. We'll switch at noon," Kakashi said as they talked in the living room.

The discussion Sakura heard the boys were having earlier that morning had bugged her a bit all day, "Kakashi-sensei, do you think we'll have to fight again?" she asked a bit worried. She did not feel all that great watching the rest fight as she stood there like a manikin.

The white-haired Nin stole a glance at his fellow jounin before turning his head towards his student. "It is more likely than not. I have had a feeling that the man we fought before was not dead. Both Kurenai and I suppose that hunter Nin we saw before was an accomplice of some sorts. It really hadn't occurred to me until earlier today," scratching his mask as he finished.

The dog companion had dropped his shoulders before releasing a deep sigh, "Great," coming out very sarcastically.

The blue-eyed Gennin leaned his shoulders as he perked up, "Just means we gotta train harder," he said with a determined look.

From the corner of the room, a young boy, a few years younger than the present Gennin retorted, "It's just a waste. It doesn't matter how hard you try, you'll all just die anyways." He gave a look that was a mix of a slight glare and a frown at the same time.

Kiba gave the boy an incredulous look, "What's up with you pipsqueak?" In all honesty, he had not even noticed he was living there.

The young lad took a few steps closer as he raised his voice in volume. "I've seen it before. People come and say they are going to help us… then they die. S-- So stop trying or you'll just die like everyone else!" he almost choked in the end, eyes were misted up and face flushed.

Kurenai was ready to walk towards the boy to console the boy but was beaten to it. Naruto stood up from his spot and scowled at the kid, "Urusai! So you want us to leave! Well too bad. Stop crying over pretending that you can't do anything. If we leave, guess what happens? Shit happens! And your ojii-san will probably die because of it" he shouted.

Hinata was a bit shocked by his outburst and tried to grab his wrist to calm him. The blond wasn't all that thrilled yelling at the kid but he knew he had to. "No Hinata, he needs to hear this," hearing him use her plain full name told her he was serious. "Look, stop acting like the whole world's out to get you. It's not, and all that complaining won't help rat down a hole. You want to stop the hurt? Then stop crying and DO SOMETHING! Don't act like your useless cause your not!" that last bit hit Sakura a bit. She'd been complaining to herself and a few others around her about how useless she is when all she had to do was simply do something.

Kurenai had gotten up and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "I think that's enough," she said as the lavender-eyed girl managed to calm her boyfriend down. The all looked at the young boy as he gripped his fist shut before running out of the room.

Tazuna had heard the blond yell but was pretty paralyzed at hearing it. He approached the group as the youngest one fled, "Forgive Inari… he's been through a lot," the night ended with him finishing another story that Naruto found highly familiar.

* * *

The rest of the night was quieter from then on. Since Kakashi felt better he was sent to sleep in the living room with the boys while the girls took the now empty bedroom. It was mostly the red-eyed women's idea in the occasion to help prevent another repeat of last night, in which caused her kunoichi pupil to blush at each mention.

The living room the sound of snoring quickly filled the room; oddly, none was coming from the white-hooded blond. There was a nagging sensation in the back of his mind… he knew something was amidst.

Though he wasn't alone in the feeling, "There's another" a voice spoke in his head. Naruto wanted to question it but there was no denying. **"I know you feel it… Oniouja, it's far, but not that far"**, the Kyuubi spoke.

The boy closed his lids as he replied, 'Yeah… what shitty timing'. He rolled over to his side and spent the next hour or so talking to Nikawa about how to deal with the on coming threat.

* * *

**Well i hope you read the first two or atleast the second chapter. If not, i bet your pretty lost at this part. Well i'm open to all questions so give me a shot if you have them.**

**For all that voting i made in the past... i made my decision and sticking with it, Zabuza dies and Haku goes to Konoha as a MALE. i'm also trying to get into the more adventure side of things. For all you fluff lovers, i'm not done with it but i want to focus on the other part of this genre. NARUHINA will live so S'all good. Thanks for reading and remember...**

**REVIEW!!!REVIEW!!!REVIEW!!! (3 more and i get .2k of revs)  
**


	15. Demon in sheep's clothing

**Well sorry this is a short chapter but i wanted to end this so the next chapter can be an all out fight**.

**OH and by the way, !!! I AM LOOKING FOR A NEW BETA!!! My old one hasn't gotten back to me at all so i guess if anyone wants to that'd be great. So that means this hasn't been beta-edited.**

**Lastly please read the my log for help in finding a fic i didn't put on my alert (so dumb of me)**

**Last-Lastly I decided that Kyuubi's name will not exist, and he will just be Kyuubi again**. **Should have never named him Nikawa or whatever it was**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto etc.  
**

* * *

The next few days went smoothly. Both teams alternated between training and guard duty at the bridge. Meal time was the same, filled with chatter, slurps, teasing and bantering. But to the young blond, an eerie feeling continuously haunted him. It was the fact that he knew somewhere not too far away was his next big fight with an Oniouja. No doubt much more stronger than the previous. True to Naruto's sixth sense, the said demon was lurking around in search for a host.

* * *

In the depths of Gato's secret hide-out, a scrawny male stood erect next to a full body mirror. His clammy hands fogged the glass he leaned upon, blank stare doing nothing but haunt anyone who'd happed to pass by. Quietly he murmured incoherent words, mumbling about "Onii-san" every few seconds. It was clear to anyone with eyes that he had lost his mind… well all but he himself. This was the reason he wasn't startled when his reflection began to reply.

His darkened baggy eyes, proof of his days of missed sleep, sluggishly gazed on the warping image, "Onii-san… Onii-san… lets go Onii-san" the man said monotonously.

The reflection crossed his arms together and glared at his 'brother', **"You let me die Tee. Do you not see that I am dead otouto"** the images glare not changing as the man's face changed to an ugly warped frown.

Chocking on his words he managed to spill, "Gomen Onii-san. Onegai, let me make it up to you! I'll do anything!" he shouted. There were few who didn't hear him yell, and those who did, did nothing about it.

A devilish grin came upon the faltering image, **"Then listen Tee. Come closer and look into my eyes"** the dark-toned reflection bellowed. And like an obedient fool, he followed the orders.

The next moment the halls were filled with a intense scream, much more different then any other noises he'd made lately. Arising suspicion, a grunt decided to check out the cause of the alarm. The moment the grunt opened the door a clawed hand shot through his abdomen, a few pointy stubs protruding from the back.

His kill was swift and muffled by a quick hand. Not long after another knock came to his door. This time it was Taro that came to check on the disturbance. His large head peeked into the room and scanned the area. "Fuck's up?" the large man asked.

Tee, who had his back turned to his visitor, faced him and calmly answered, "Nothing, just an accident" well trying to hide his bloody hands behind him.

The axe wielder gave a nod before continuing, "Meet up at front in thirty, we have another mission" and with that he closed the door. As the door shut, the bloodied body hidden behind it fell to the floor with a thud. Another smirk haunted his face as he slowly exited the room, making sure to firmly step on the oozing corpse.

* * *

Elsewhere Team Eight continued their training for the afternoon. They had just gotten back from lunch and was easing their way into a training with a light spar. Hinata watch her teammates trade blows and parries in the sidelines with her sensei.

Her training regime was slightly different from her male counterparts. She had proven herself proficient enough for Kurenai to supervise her elemental training. While Shino and Kiba kept to their tree exercise, Hinata worked over the water. The jounin's training shown it's difficulty. Who knew making water ripple forward and reverse would be so hard.

It was hard and tiring, but at the end of each session her ability in water manipulation had improved. Soon enough, after she'd shown enough control, Hinata's sensei would teach her, her very first water jutsu. That was the thought that strayed her mind, so much in fact that she barely noticed a plummeting Akamaru going right towards her. Obviously she had been hanging around Naruto too much.

The soft bundle of fur safely landed on the lap of the lavender-eyed girl, startling her, but nevertheless apologized. There really wasn't anything to apologize for yet it was kind of a force of habit having to excuse any ditsyness on her part.

Kurenai stood up from her crossed legged position and strode towards the sparring nins. "I think that's enough for now. There really isn't any need for accidents," she said shooing her hand away. Hinata followed in tail, poking her fingers in slight embarrassment.

As Kiba turned his back towards his team, he made his way towards the bench on Tazuna's porch not aware of the arrow darting from the sky. The young Inuzuka luckily stopped in time noticing a faint shadow on the floor. As the lethal stick embedded the ground, Team Eight were quick into a fighting formation.

It wasn't too smart to send of a blind shot that'd only signal an ambush, but then again they wouldn't have had the luck to get close unnoticed. A few seconds later several short knives were hurled through the bushes. The attack was easily dodged yet forced them to spread out. After flashing a quick hand seal, the red-eyed women snagged a kunai from her pouch and dissipated into the wind.

* * *

Elsewhere Naruto napped under the comforting shade of a tree. His time of careless sleep was abruptly broken by the bellow of a specific fox. **"Kit! It's here"** the Kyuubi said in an alarmed voice.

The young boy doubled over and jumped to his feet, a bit clumsily due to his unstretched limbs. "Nani!? Where at?" his head shifting towards every direction.

Inside of him, the Kyuubi took a few sniffs around, **"A couple miles east. I sense a fight there as well"** the fox finished.

Reading a leap into the nearest branch, Naruto nearly stumbled upon his broody teammate, "We have to go, trouble at the Tazuna's" his sensei said monotonously. The blonde nodded his head noticing a flashing signal in the scarecrow's collar.

In a flash, Team Seven rushed towards the battle site.

* * *

There were a lot more enemies there than what they originally thought. It seemed that Gato spared no one when he needs something done. There was a good twenty, luckily none were ninjas. The newer Jounin had disabled several of them quickly but each were quickly replaced no sooner had they fallen.

It seemed that Kiba and Shino struggled a bit more than the others, fatigue still running from their previous spar. Still they managed to hold out with little wounds.

This had gone long enough for Kurenai. After disappearing once again, she reappeared in the middle of the fight quickly flashing several seals before a bright light waved through the area. All of the opponents suddenly stopped, obviously paralyzed by what ever the Genjutsu Mistress initiated.

Holding her seal tightly, beads a sweat ran down her face, "What I'm about to ask you might be tough for you right now but It needs to be done. I need all of you to… fully disable all but one of them," She knew it would be their first kill but they were a bit desperate. She couldn't hold the jutsu on for long so the team needed to be quick.

The three genin nodded and each equipped a kunai to their hands. Kiba was the first to walk towards the unmoving foe. He gripped the kunai tightly and closed his eyes. As the metal pierced the skin covering the man's throat, he could feel the warm liquid squirt onto his hand, making his whole body shiver in disgust.

Then the rest made their way towards the soon to be cold bodies. Inari stuck his head out of the door frame, hoping to see the end of a fight, but instead caught site of a gruesome execution. Hinata had yet to make hers, truly fearing what she would do, she knew it had to be done, it was her job, a job that she'd never give up, but the simply fact of killing her enemies disturbed her.

Unfortunately her 'victim' was no victim at all. The scrawny man had his head facing the door, waiting for his objective. Slowly the young kunoichi drew her hand up, readying a slash, but her weapon never made contact. As soon as the young boy stuck his head to witness the scene, Tee had shot up, proving his immune to the Jounin's jutsu, reading to fulfill the mission of kidnapping the bridge builder's grandson.

It was to quick to be stopped. In a few seconds Hinata had been flattened on her butt and the young boy picked up onto the thug's shoulder. Kiba was quick to react, both he and Akamaru leaping into a Gatsuuga towards the foe. Yet the enemy showed more experienced then anticipated as he parried the first blow and redirected it to the second.

Kurenai was helpless to stop, still needing to hold fast her jutsu. Then a few seconds after, it was done. Both the enemy and Inari were gone. It wasn't till the faint warning from their sensei that they remembered to kill off the rest of them. This time the unlucky captives were met with a quick death, no hesitation needed.

The lavender-eyed kunoichi was ready to breakdown, she had failed her team because of her hesitation. She let the boy be taken and pushed away like a rag doll. What kind of ninja gets scared of killing.

As the slicing of throats finished, only the sound of a weeping Tsunami echoed through the air. Then not soon enough had the sounds of wavering branches approached. Kakashi and his team were greeted by a very red sight.

Things seemed decent enough to the experienced leaf nin. That is until the connection of a weeping Tsunami and an absent Inari was made. Naruto was first to comfort the weeping Hyuga, obviously traumatized by her greatest failure and first kills. The blonde remember witnessing his first kill, nearly releasing the Kyuubi when Sasuke was thought to be dead in his past life.

He wrapped his arms around her, allowing her tears to soak into his shirt. "Hey it's ok, I know it's hard the first time but it's something everyone goes through. Your not alone… you know that" he said in a comforting voice.

She bit back a few sobs, just enough to make an audible reply, "N-no… It's worse… I g-got scared and I-I… I let him take Inari" she said shoving herself further into his chest.

It took a few seconds for the info to pick up, in fact it was his sensei that had to tell him straight out. Even still, comforting the weeping maiden next to him seemed more important than irrationally running in chase of the kidnapper.

After a brief moment to regroup, Team Seven and Shino were ready to get back the young lad. Naruto set the shivering girl onto the couch and stepped outside with the rest of his team. He shared a nod with the boy's mom, something that told her everything was going to be fine, that he'd get her child back no matter what. The teary women wished them a safe return just as they took off for the trees.

Kakashi took the lead, having the bug user right next to him, giving the jounin directions. He was lucky enough to implant one of his bugs on Tee… that is until a it's signal faded. They stopped about a mile later with Shino finding his insects squished into a mushy smear.

Sakura looked towards the direction they were headed, "It's ok, obviously the person was heading in this direction" as she made a step towards the next branch, a hand fell on her shoulder.

"No… it's this way. I sense something over there" the blond said, looking west of their position.

The rosette was ready to argue but the thought that it may have been a trick to mislead them shut her up. Kakashi knew Naruto was right and had a feeling the boy knew where he was going. Whether it was the Kyuubi's power acting up, it really wasn't the time to argue. Instead, the elder agreed with the boy's assumption and headed in a new path.

Sasuke quickly caught up with his sensei to argue further, "Even if the dobe is right about the misdirection, how do you know he headed that way!" he refused to be one-uped by Naruto again! But Kakashi would have none of it.

The silver-haired man glanced at his pupil before speaking, "Gut feelings save more lives than you think. Besides, do you have a better idea?" he gave him a muffled grin which irritated the boy even more.

* * *

The possessed thug easily made it back to the base with little problems. That is until he caught up with the guards. The man at the post welcomed the mercenary, but his mistake was trying to take the kid with him, "Ah! Mission successful, here hand the boy to me and I'll give'em to the boss" he said flashing a sneaky grin.

Whatever his intention, it meant nothing to him. With a sharp thrust, the guard found himself bleeding to death from a giant hole in his chest. Tee spat at the guard, "There are better uses for the brat" he said as he readjusted the unconscious boy on his shoulder.

Within seconds floods of grunts charged the traitorous man and all were met with a gruesome end. The first two were bold enough to charge the demon possessed with nothing but their fist. A stab to the heart was quickly prescribed. Soon the sky rained of sharp metal objects. The skinny pole wielder shot his weapon at the nearest man's throat, killing him instantly, than using the staff to swing him up, blocking the rain of projectiles.

He took an insane leap known only to trained ninja and easily swiped away those who'd thrown the random weaponry. Bloody bags of corpses fell in a steady beat. The rest watched horrified as their numbers diminished. As Tee softly landed back on the ground, the hired thugs were quick to flee the site. Sadly only a few made it out as many of them were skewered or made into pincushions.

The demon possessed shook of some of the excess blood from his hands and casually walked away into one of the buildings.

* * *

As Team Seven made their way through the trees, the blond in lead nearly tripped from the sudden change of smell, "Gah! Something reeks!" the boy said readjusting his mount on the branch.

The elder jounin raised his nose in the air, as if looking for a scent. "Hmm, it's probably blood. A big fight no doubt," he said non-chalet. The young raven-haired boy behind him began grumbling about always missing out on the action.

Naruto hooked an eyebrow as he eyed his sensei, "You smell it too?" he inquired.

The Jounin shook his head, a bit in disappointment, "Well I kind of hoped you'd noticed the cease in giant wave of killer intent earlier. Guess I believed my team better than reality" The three genin of team seven pulled off a very Sasuke like 'hmph' and continued forward followed by Shino, leaving the jounin behind. "Such a dramatic team I have" the silver haired man spoke catching up to the team.

As they made their way to the hidden compound, the smell of blood became very apparent. Red stained the dirt, the walls, the doors. Inside the cement walls, blood decorated every piece of interior there was. Crimson oozed down from the upper cat walk that aligned the walls.

The overall sight nearly made the rosette puke. "What could have done this?" she said, clamping her mouth shut.

Naruto knew exactly what had done this, just not who exactly. "Probably best not to find out," was his reply, knowing he'd more than not find the source.

* * *

Not to far off a large man began shifting away from his bed. "Zabuza-sama, you should stay in bed for at least one more day. There is no need to strain yourself further" the feminine boy suggested.

The masked demon ignored the kind gesture and tore the blanket away. "There's trouble outside, trouble I'd rather not be apart of. Haku let's go" he said grabbing his mighty blade and fixating it onto his back.

Rather than arguing any further, the apprentice merely nodded and followed him out the door. As they walked through the long hall a dark figure approached them. Instantly the air became thick with tension. Closer the three approached, until they were shoulder to shoulder. Both demons took a glance at each other with Haku observing the very bloody hands of the once disposable grunt.

Those fractions of seconds that the two locked eyes seemed like hours. Something told Zabuza that the man that stood next to him was more of a demon than he was, fear was the informer. As their distance grew, the two runaways began to wonder whether they were headed the right way.

Deciding that turning back wouldn't be a smart idea, the two stumbled upon a holocaust aftermath. Sensing foot steps, Zabuza quickly hidden himself in the shadows followed by the youth. "Well well, looks like we got a little lucky today haven't we Haku" he said watching a group of Konoha genin walk towards the middle of the compound ground.

Naruto and the rest continued their trek, trying to ignore the mounds of fresh corpses. Slowly a thick haze began approaching, one that seemed all too familiar. The young Uchiha took a Kunai with each hand and got into a ready stance, "Zabuza" he snarled.

The leader of the group took few steps ahead and pointed to a building nearby, "Head there, NOW!" expressing the urgency of the matter. They were quick to run for shelter until a small flicker of light led Kakashi to force his kunai up and block the sudden attack. "Just keep going," he grunted out as the two jumped back from the initial blow.

Running into fogless air the four were close to their destination… that is until an ice mirror formed right in front of them. "What are you doing here?" a shadow in the ice questioned.

The blond watched as the shadow grew some color, 'Haku' he thought aloud. "We're here to rescue a friend. I know you don't want to fight so step away." Naruto reasoned.

The figure stepped out of the reflective ice and stood in front of the four. To all but Naruto's surprise, the person in the ice was the hunter-nin from before, "You are the same people that fought against Zabuza-sama. Because of that I'm afraid I cannot let you off. Please accept this," Haku said. He quickly produced a senbon and blocked the thrown kunai.

Sasuke readied another and charged the foax hunter-nin. "Naruto go! We'll take care of him" he said just as the two clashed in sparks. The blonde gave a slight nod before going around the fight, towards the door.

With the first strike, the two combatants jumped back to their respective spots. The pink-haired kunoichi ran up to her teammate to check on him. "I'm surprised you trust Naruto enough to get the job done Sasuke," she said with a slight grin.

The boy just shook off the look and studied his foe before answering, "I'd rather fight than deal with a pathetic brat. Anyways don't bother with me, worry about those guys" tilting his head slightly to point out the small wave of new opponents.

It was only three thugs, but that was three more than Sakura was comfortable with. This would be the first time Sakura would actually fight and honestly, she doubted she'd be much help. Regardless the rosette kunoichi couldn't leave Shino to fight all of them.

A few feet next to the troubled female, a swarm of bugs began flowing and circling their master. Shino was as stoic as ever and was surely battle ready. Stupidly one of the grunts didn't think much of the flying insects and wildly charged the Aburame. That was mistake number one. At an instant the swarm enveloped the man's head causing him to panic. The bug user didn't hesitate to throw two kunais at the target's hips, thus immobilizing him.

Sensing two others Sakura grabbed a roll of wire and attached it to the end of one of her kunais. As she sent if flying, the weapon embedded itself onto a tree. Her first attacker dumbly fell victim to a simple rope trip. The second was a bit smarter and jumped over the rope.

The two genin regrouped and now faced the last opponent. But this person seemed a bit stronger and more aware than the other two. "He's a nuke-nin or at least a failed genin" the usually quite ninja said. Sakura looked closely and noticed a glimmering piece of metal on his side belt. It had the insignia of mist with a slash across.

The readied foe took a glance at his opponents. He knew better than to underestimate his opponents but they didn't show too much skill taking down disposables. "Your in over your heads genin" The man said as he threw a smoke bomb at the two.

This caused them to separate but as Shino made his leap, several shuriken came hurtling towards him. The young genin maneuvered enough in time to avoid a worse outcome but one of them had embedded itself on his forearm.

As the man came closer, a haze of bugs began moving away from the incapacitated body and towards the new threat. But the foe was too smart to let a bunch of chakra hungry bugs get to him. He jumped back to avoid the bunch but that was the trap. Sakura threw herself from the trees with a roll of wire on hand, the end of it still embedded on the tree. As she landed she made a break for an invisible target. Angling it right she pulled tight on the string luckily it caught her mark. The enemy was snagged by the wire and pulled against the tree. Within moments he was tied down.

Sakura placed her hands on her knees to support her sprint-tired body. Sadly she hadn't anticipated that her foe she tripped earlier would be back so early. Indeed he was and she payed for that with a strong kick to the side.

Seeing the foe return, he sent his wave of bugs towards him. His insects made quick work of the little chakra the man had. The two comrades regrouped and knew they probably couldn't handle anymore as they watched waves people come out of a different building.

As the first five men closed in on the two genins, a very relieving sound was heard, "Gastuuga" the dog companion shouted as he turned himself into a swirling tornado taking out one of the foes. From behind him came Hinata and Kurenai.

Sakura gave them a welcoming smile as she took out a pair of gloves from pocket. She slipped it on and got into a fighting position with the rest. 'I hope you watching Sasuke-kun'.

* * *

Naruto ran down the hall with as much speed as he can. The fresh blood on the walls, floors, and ceiling gave him the right direction to go. As he broke through the a rather large door he came up towards an arena size dome. Obviously they were underground, for such a place should've been seen from outside.

In the middle of the giant room stood a scrawny grunt holding a child on his shoulders. **"Looking for me Naruto-kun?"** the voice was deep and demonic, nothing like it was before.

Inside the blond's head the fox rustled, **"Don't be reckless. This guy's more complete than the last one"** the voice bellowed.

The Jinchuuriki cracked his neck left, then right. "Just another ol' fight with another ol' demon. So what's new?" he said forming a familiar hand seal.

* * *

**Like i said sorry it's so short. But please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	16. More than a little useless

**UNBETA-ED VERSION: got the sudden urge to post it up before waiting to get feedback from my Beta**

**FEEL FREE TO REVIEW AND/OR PM ME FOR FASTER UPDATES. I kinda need someone to nag me about updates :P**

**Well sorry for not updating this fic for a long time. I just got uninspired with this fic b/c of all the stuff i dislike about what i wrote (too much drama). I plan on rewriting a few more chapter later on... but that won't be for later. For now ENJOY!!! (I'm so proud about this first jutsu combo from Kurenai and Co. just because it's amazing and creative)**

**Naruto's Outfit: i forgot to mention that Naruto's outfit is slightly different( the old me was bored with the orange track suit, but the present me prefers the original... oh well). Ok So Naruto wheres a burnt orange tee under a white zip-up hoody with two large stripes in the midsection, the top a matching burnt orange, the bottom blue. His pants are pretty much the same as the original plus a white stripe along the side.  
**

(**Magen: Konpaku Zanzou**- Demonic Illusion: Ghostly Afterimage; **Magen: Jubaku Satsu-** Demonic Illusion- Tree Binding Death; **Kaenhira**- flaming palm; **Raikiri**- lightening blade; **Doton: Dochuu Senkou no Jutsu**- Earth Release: Underground Voyage technique)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto but i do own the Nacho Libre DVD i'm watching with Jon RIGHT NOW!

* * *

Kurenai watched as a dozen men flood out from the two side buildings that edged the compound walls, "Kiba, Hinata, both of you make a bunshin and have it fight one step ahead of you," she ordered softly. The way it was set up, what ever the original wanted to do, the bunshin would do it first, letting the original look like an afterimage themselves.

The two Genins nodded and proceeded with the hand seals. There were three puffs revealing a clone of Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru. The red-eyed jounin smiled while starting her own seals, "Attack now! **Magen: Konpaku Zanzou**" she cried.

The two immediately sprung into action heading straight for the group of thugs. The meantime, their foes suddenly had a hard time focusing on their targets. All they could see were two figures approaching and a trail of afterimages right behind them. Though they were just barely a blur, it didn't hinder them that much to strike out.

The man closest to them struck his saber at the young Inuzuka. Instead of hitting flesh, it passed through the body of the bunshin. Kiba smirk as he dug his fist into the mans face. He rotated in the air while whipping out a kunai in his left hand and slashing his opponent in the chest as he came back around. The body dropped and Kiba continued on towards his next victim.

Hinata also found it quite easy to pick apart her foes. One of the burly men ran straight for her and swung his fist down striking her bunshin but missing her completely. She found her opening and began thrusting her hands towards the mans main joints. His elbows were first, then his right shoulder, then his neck, then finalized with two strikes to his hips. Her enemy watched in fear as the trails of ghostly images stuck around his body, shutting him down. The real Hinata was cleverly hidden, disguised as one of the afterimages. For the first time, she felt truly powerful, she would prove herself to her teammates, her father, and to her Naruto-kun.

Three other men fell victim to the small Hyuuga as they tried to overwhelm the trailing blur with their numbers. But that proved useless as she swiveled across their flying limbs, trying desperately to score a hit. It had turned into a game for her, with her Byakugan on and their insanely terrible accuracy, avoiding them was child's play. As she finished her opponents, her eyes fell onto the two tornadoes that chased after their confused prey. Like leaves in a storm, they were thrown around by the Inuzuka and partner.

Shino also looked onward at his teammates. They were performing wonderfully, especially Hinata who was only recently weeping because of her hesitance. At the same time he didn't feel like the only one not fighting so he took off towards the first enemy that he saw. An average sized man with two extended knives glared at the Genin. He didn't need a bunshin to take advantage of his effects as the cloud of bugs swarmed the man. His knives did very little against his attacks and soon fell victim to four shurikens that embedded his upper torso and neck. He wondered whether it was a good thing that he was able to dismiss guilt of killing so easily now, but shook his thoughts of it as he charged at another foe.

Sakura also created a bunshin, wanting to test out the effects of Kurenai's Genjutsu herself. She had a guilty pleasure in messing with her opponent. She watch him flail his sword at her then punch him twice, forcing him to drop his weapon. He stuck out again with his fist and missed. Two more hits to face made his vision all the worse. Sakura gripped her gloves tightly and imagined the face of a smirking Ino talking about how Sasuke hated girls with big foreheads. She reeled her arm back and sent a haymaker of a punch towards her foe, sending him flying through the air and crashing one of Kiba's opponents. The Inuzuka shifted his gaze towards where the flying body came from and saw a grinning Sakura with her hands waving around in a victory sign.

The pink-haired Genin relished in her victory until a familiar grunt was heard. Her neck snapped towards the direction of a giant dome of ice, where in the middle stood a sore looking Sasuke. Without thinking twice, she found herself running towards him, not even thinking of what she could possibly do to help him.

* * *

He was too fast and Sasuke could barely keep up. Haku barely gave him any time to recover or to start up a jutsu as he threw his senbon at him every second or so. What he didn't expect was for a pink-haired girl to run into the dome. It was foolish and she sealed her fate in doing so.

The dark-haired boy was also a bit shocked in seeing her, "What are you doing here Sakura!? It's way to dangerous for you. Go back now!" he commanded. A part of him was glad that she was there, he wanted some kind of support and he knew there was slim chance in beating his foe alone, yet a larger part of the Genin was angry at his teammate for running into his fight so dumbly and possibly getting hurt doing so.

The girl flinched for a moment. It was hardly a greeting she expected, but her determination set in and she shook her head in response, "No… onegai Sasuke, let me help," she pleaded, her dismissal the suffix proving she was serious.

The Uchiha didn't get a chance to answer as Haku's voice resonated within the dome, "This is not your fight. Please leave before I must resort to action," he warned. His target was the Uchiha and he didn't want to hurt the girl. But her answer was obvious as she stubbornly took her place next to her teammate.

She leaned towards the boy's ear, "Sasuke-kun, I have a plan," the kunoichi whispered. Having no other alternative, he listened, "Both of us make four bunshin. I'll hendge myself and my clones to look like you while you find him and attack," she said.

It sounded like something Naruto would have done, yet the idea came slightly from her previous fight. Sasuke just nodded and proceeded with the necessary hand seals. Eight bunshins poofed into existence, all taking the appearance of the Uchiha. There was now ten male Genin standing in the middle of the dome. Not waiting for their opponent to strike first, the group ran into different directions.

Haku watch carefully as he through a senbon at the clones. One he noticed had stayed back some while performing more hand signs. He through a Senbon at him, but was deflected by one of the 'other' Sasukes. He jumped back into his mirror and moved into another one behind his target. But He was surprised when the Uchiha turned around as if following his movement and send a large fire ball at his direction. The Genin had almost hit him, and he was amazed that time seemed to slow down for him. He could see the foax hunter nin travel much easier than before.

Sakura watched in awe as her crush nearly made his mark. What really got her was the fact that his once onyx colored pupils had turned red with a single tomoe inside.

His gaze fell back towards his partner with eager eyes, "Let's give that one more go," he said to girl. She gave him a winded smiled and went back into a making hand seals. Again the area was filled with clones. This time non held back for Haku to take notice. Instead, he through a senbon at each figure until it struck something solid. He heard a grunt and focused more of his attention on that as he struck out with more senbons. Smoke appeared and the body transformed back into the pink-haired kunoichi. This time Haku couldn't dodge the large fireball that approached as cleanly as he did before.

The flame got a good hit on his right leg. The damage wasn't major but the hit was still there. Now he knew he had a good chance of hitting him. His eyes fell back to his partner but found her on the ground kneeling with several needles sticking out of her arm. She felt greatly discomforted being a pincushion but she knew it'd be better to leave it on for now. Sakura saw the look of concern from her crush and felt slightly happy, but she knew they weren't done yet. "O-once more Sasuke-kun," she winced. He wanted to refuse, worried she'd get hurt again, but said nothing knowing there would be no talking her out of it. She could be as stubborn as the blond sometimes.

For the third time, clones filled the area, this time a bit more than before. They all took off in random directions as Haku followed them with his eyes. He was running low on senbons and didn't feel like wasting it on bunshin. He kept his weapons still until he was able to single out one foe. Finally he managed to single out one opponent who had hung back once again to perform hand seals. He shot off his senbons at the figure while checking his peripherals for any fire balls. There was none, only random clones jumping towards the mirrors he occupied as he traveled, he had found his target.

The projectiles continued its path until it hit it's mark. He was happy that the fight was finally over, but didn't expect a random shout from his side, "**Kaenhira,**" one of the 'Sasukes' cried. His hands erupted in flames as it approached him. He tried sinking back into is mirror, but was caught in the blast as the boy's hands exploded into more fire. The dark-haired Genin let himself drop back down to the floor, happy with his strike. When he turned around to send his partner a very rare smile, his heart nearly stopped. Sakura was lying on the floor with dozens of needles protruding from all angles. He nearly teleported to her side as he lifted her head onto his lap. It was the first time in a long time that he felt so… scared. Clammy hands shot towards her neck, trying to feel a pulse. There was none. Then off towards her face urging to feel the soft tickle of her breath, and again there was nothing.

Slowly Haku emerged from the ground, but he was ignored by his opponent. He sunk back into the safety of his mirrors before reflecting himself on each one, "I am sorry for your loss. She fought bravely but I am afraid it wasn't enough. Please see that this fight will only cause your death as well and give up," the teen said.

Sasuke didn't even hear his voice. His entire attention was focused on the still body of his teammate, his friend, "Sakura… w-what h-have you… DAMNIT!" he cursed. The boy clung to her body as tears began leaking through his tightly closed eyes. He stayed ignorant to the rain of projectiles that shot at him. He was in mourn, another one close to him was taken away and he was helpless to do anything.

The needles came closer to him, but before it could make contact, two mini tornadoes entered the dome and parried the oncoming attack. Several more attacks were sent off this time parried by the Hyuuga who armed herself with a kunai in each hand. The way she blocked the flying shards looked almost as if she was dancing, along with her Byakugan and range of flexibility, her area of protection was nearly impenetrable.

Zabuza's accomplice was getting flustered by the second. He nearly finished this battle, and now more of his opponents comrades joined the fray. He cursed his luck when a thick cloud of bugs began dispersing themselves across the dome. The teen felt a few cling to his body, but failed to notice his chakra slowly draining.

As the battle continued, the dark-haired Genin slowly rose his head. A second tomoe began forming in his eyes and more than before, his opponents movements were easier to follow. Anger spilled from his body, a killing intent able to cause everyone around him to flinch. He was Sasuke, he was an avenger, and he will get justice.

The boy sprung into speeds that weren't recognized earlier. With his stronger eyes, he followed Haku as he switched mirrors and right in the middle of the air, a powerful strike to the jaw sent him flying out of his dome. His body ran to catch up with his target letting out a flurry of punches and kicks to the teen's midsection before following it up with a rising knee to the chin. The beaten body fell with harsh thud, his mask cracking under the pressure it received.

Even after that beating, after winning the fight, he still wanted more, yet his body had a hard time moving, "Let me go! He needs more punishment! He killed Sakura!" the boy cried.

Kiba kept his full nelson hold, yet that was barely enough to hold him back, "Calm down. You'll kill him if you keep this up," and he knew he wanted to. If it weren't for Akamaru holding his legs down, still in his **Juujin Bunshin**, the enraged Uchiha would have gotten out with a few good kicks. The Inuzuka saw the girl lying there, and saw how Sasuke reacted, but something told him it wouldn't do any good to just kill the foax hunter-nin, even if thought he deserved it.

* * *

Kakashi stood in a middle of a dense fog, his stance relaxed and hands empty of weapons. He could hear voices from a distance and knew them to be friendly, " Looks like back up has arrived Zabuza," the scarecrow spoke.

"Yours and mine. I hope you didn't think that there weren't any more men inside the compound. Even with a Jounin, I doubt your little friends could take down so many," a voice echoed form all directions.

Still Kakashi remained, though this time armed with a single kunai. A slight flare of chakra was felt behind him and he quickly spun around to block the attack. He let the massive blade slide off his kunai while throwing his right leg around for a side kick. As his foot made contact, the foe splashed into a pool of water, "Still using the same tricks Zabuza," he commented.

The Nuke-nin smirked as he unleashed a lethal slice to the man's side. It easily cleaved him in half but instantly turned into a water as well, "For someone who've claimed to have learned a thousand jutsus, you don't have much variety," the demon retorted.

Kakashi began making hand seals, 'He wants variety? I'll give him variety," he thought right before unleashing his jutsu, "**Fuuton: Daitoppa**" the man shouted. Gale force wind suddenly blew to the direction of his disrupted **Mizu Bunshin**. Luckily for Zabuza, he was able to barely dodge the attack, but that wasn't the goal. The attack had forced a great deal of the mist away allowing Kakashi to see Zabuza clearly, but also noticed a dome of ice where their students fought.

The Demon of the Mist lowered his Zanbato, "Hey Kakashi, why don't we take a break and watch our pupils fight?" he suggested. The scarecrow was a bit wary, but was also curious to see the fight. He dropped his hands down and looked on towards the other battle field, his peripheral still focused on any sneak attacks.

Both Jounins were mildly impressed by the brawl. Yet at the back of Kakashi's mind, he knew it was a bit wrong to stand back and watch them fight, especially when he saw his pink-haired student jump into the fight. It wasn't surprising that she ran to help her teammate, but he didn't expect them to fight well with each other. The Instructor felt a little pride swell up as he watched them finally get a good blow at their target, but when the consequences were shown, all urges to stand aside were gone.

He rush towards the dome just as the other Genin joined to help their comrades, but had to dodge as a massive blade swung down over him, "Our fights not over Kakashi," the ex-Mist nin said. He swung his blade diagonally, but missed as his target weaved away getting an opening on his ribs. With kunai in hand, Kakashi slashed at his side, drawing a little blood, but had to jump back once more as the giant blade came back around and sliced his weapon in half.

Feeling annoyed by the fact that he no longer had the cover of mist, he began making seals once more. The nin was too preoccupied with the other masked male to notice an odd sense begin to overwhelm him. He finished his last seal and began to cast his jutsu when a mysterious voice was heard, "**Magen: Jubaku Satsu**" it said softly. Small roots began springing out of the ground trying to capture his feet, but the man jumped away in time. He continued to sprint away from the jumping stems while mist covered his trails. Now the cards were back on his hands and he charged towards his target, wanting to end the battle quick. Zabuza ran towards Kakashi, who had stood still while holding a seal together. If he didn't feel so rushed, the missing nin may have found it a bit suspicious, but it was to late for that. His blade rose, ready to chop it's mark when several canine summons bit at his limbs, holding him in place. From there, roots shot up from the ground, wrapping around him as a tree held him in place. Zabuza of the mist was now easy prey.

He said nothing as Kakashi charged his **Raikiri**, and he did the same out of respect. The demon knew when he was defeated, and today would be his last day. The Konoha Jounin ran towards his target, fist full of lightening, and thrust it towards his foe. The last thing he saw the man do was raspily whisper,"'Take care of the kid," before he found his hand sticking out of the other man's back.

Both Konoha nins released their jutsu and watched their enemy fall. It turned out, even demons have hearts in the end. Without another word, the two Jounins rushed to aid their pupils.

The four conscious Genin were huddled around the pink-haired one. Her bleeding wasn't to severe and Hinata was able to carefully remove all the needles. Shino had made sure to drain their opponent of every last bit of chakra he had leaving only enough for him to survive. Sasuke on the other hand still wasn't ready to accept it. He stood over his emerald-eyed team mate wanting to pound the heck out of the other male's unconscious form, "You're late again," he hissed.

Two figures joined the huddled group, "Well I see you all did a good job with handling your opponents," he complemented, yet no one raised their heads, except for the brooding Uchiha who instead glared even more towards his sensei. The man could see his student grip his fist with force, "Why so glum you guys?" he asked.

None of them, even Kurenai could believe their ears. Was Kakashi that cold-hearted to dismiss his student's death or was he as dense as his other student. That was the straw the broke the camels back. Sasuke ran towards his instructor with a kunai in hand, "You bastard!" the boy yelled.

His attack was easily evaded while the Jounin was able to restrain his arms and force his head to look at the direction of Sakura's still body, "Just look," he said. The dark-haired shinobi continued to struggle under the man's hold, muttering profanity while tearing his gaze away from her. Everyone, aside Kakashi, gasp as the once thought to be dead Genin fluttered her eyes and inhaled quickly. Sakura was alive.

The red-eyed jounin let herself smile, "The same technique he used on Zabuza right? So you knew she was alive the whole time?" she asked. The cyclops gave his signature smile and nodded. He loosened his grip which allowed Sasuke to jump out of the hold and watch intently as the girl slowly open her eyes.

Things were blurry at first but the sight slowly came to focus. Everyone was gathered around her, including a certain Uchiha who looked as if he had just seen a ghost, "Why are you all looking at me like that?" she asked. The area suddenly filled itself with relieved laughter. She continued to look confused until her eyes fell on the body of their defeated opponent, "Sasuke! Did we win?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit hoarsely.

As best he could, he kept his face stoic, but ended up letting a smile grace his face, the same smile he used right before he found out she had almost died, "Yeah, you did good," he stated. She felt like she was flying at his words. Her crush had finally acknowledged her and gave complements to boot, "But make sure that's the last time you barge into my fights," the boy scolded.

Sakura let her smile slip slightly, but knew he didn't really meant it. She watched him long enough to know when he's just trying to cover it up. In fact, a small part of her felt that he was worried about her.

The mood instantly changed when a different subject was brought up, "Ano, where's Naruto-kun?" the little Hyuuga asked.

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly, "He went after that thug from earlier," he said slowly walking towards the middle building he saw him head for earlier. Hinata soon followed but easily passed him up, not wanting to wait to make sure her boyfriend was safe.

Sasuke also followed, but was stopped when a hand told him to stay back, "The rest of you stay. You've all deserved a good break," he said while nodding towards Kurenai. She got the message and began gathering the rest of the Genin. Still Sasuke wasn't convinced, "What about Hyuuga? How come she gets to go?" he asked.

Kakashi looked back at him and shrugged, "I couldn't stop the girl even if I wanted. It's beyond my jurisdiction," he stated calmly. The boys eyes then turned towards the other Jounin and readied to argue when a hand gripped his arm. It was Sakura's and her eyes pleaded him to rest. He grit his teeth slightly before sigh his defeat. With the rest of his worn out strength, he lifted her from the ground and supported her on his shoulders. Kurenai led the rest away from the traumatic scene, she trusted Kakashi to take care of her student.

* * *

At the very beginning of the fight, Naruto summoned up the Kyuubi's power, not wanting to underestimate his opponent. Supposedly, this guy was more complete then the last one, which meant that he wasn't at ten percent, "So Oniouji-san, aren't you gonna go on some random monologue telling me how your gonna kill me and blah blah blah?" the boy said sarcastically, a slight grumble in his voice.

The demon possessed thug gave a devil's grin, **"Is it mandatory that I do? I'd prefer to just kill you. The Fifth tells me my brother wants you gone,"** it said. Then without anymore warning, he sprung from his position and charged the young blond.

Naruto was impressed by his speed as it easily rivaled the current Lee. His enhanced reflexes allowed him to jump back in time to dodge a possible lethal strike with his clawed hand. His steely blue eyes tried their best to track him while he began circling him, 'He's fast Kyuubi. You think you can do that weird hand thing to kill him already?' he mentally asked.

From inside his mind, the great fox shook his head, **"It will only take effect if you force him to reveal his inner demonic,"** he stated.

Naruto grabbed a hand full of shuriken and aimed it at his foe, who easily dodged it and charged, 'So I have to beat him down like last time,' he thought. The blond sidestepped a punch then bent low to dodge a roundhouse, but was tripped up when a second foot came around for a leg sweep. He rolled away from the enemies axel kick and jumped back to his feet. A good left right combo sent him on the defensive until a hidden knee shot up hitting his torso followed by a vicious leg thrust that sent the blond hurtling across the arena. The boy stopped just short of the wall where he tried to catch his breath, ignoring the burning sensation when his chest rose, "Da-amn, he's to fast. I need more po-power," he tried saying while holding back his coughs.

The possessed thug watched his target slowly get up, this was all too easy. Now it wondered how the Third even lost. Although it was the fifth, their ranking shouldn't have an effect on it. That was when the blond slowly grew a red coat of chakra, **"Nani? Is Kyuubi-san ready to play as well?"** the demon teased.

Naruto could feel the extra chakra flowing in his coils. Though his eyes stayed blue, it grew to look harder while the rest of his body became more feral underneath the fox cloak, "Not yet. I still have to kick your ass first!" the boy shouted while springing back to life. He showed speeds that the demon didn't expect him to break. Now their levels were even, neither could afford to hold anything back, thus the boy broke out his favorite hand seal, "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he yelled.

The dome was suddenly filled with glowing red Jinchuurikis. The Fifth took in the sights, no less than half a thousand or so clones lined the walls. It was in the exact center, but what better place to start a massacre?

The first three clones shot forward. One jumped in the air to perform a drop in kick, but was easily pushed aside where he grabbed his tucked in leg and swung the clone around before tossing it at the other two. Five more charged in a straight line, the first going for a rising double kick, which were blocked before receiving a head butt dispelling it. The next two followed up with a few punches and kicks, which were again countered, destroying the two. What he didn't expect was for the fourth one to jump straight at him, arms and legs spread out as if going for a body slam. It easily punched right through it, but was caught off guard when he realized it was only a cover for the last one to thrust a **Rasengan** at it. The demon barely caught his wrist then quickly flung him towards the masses.

Naruto knew it'd take forever if he had his clones jump in a few at a time, and he didn't know how much stamina his foe had. In a 'what's there to lose' attitude, he ordered a hundred of his clones to attack him at once. They bombarded their target with hails of shurikens and kunais. Displaying skills that only a very experienced demon would have, he dodged, rolled, parried, and leaped out of the way to avoid the projectiles, getting only a few flesh wounds in the process. But it was far from over. The Fifth knew he had to step it up a notch and as the clones ran closer, it threw it's claws on the ground, letting them glow with a tainted purple aura. The wave of Bunshins didn't stand a chance as spears of earth shot from the ground at the unsuspecting clones. The attack killed off more than the charging clones, reducing the Kyuubi container's small army by nearly half. But as the dust settled, his eyes fell upon the thug who had finally shed into it's demonic form.

From inside Naruto's head, the Kyuubi smiled. Now all they had to do was get close enough to where he could shoot out a wave of his aura striking the fiend in his heart, thus ending it's existence, "I hope you know we've been waiting for you to do that," the boy said with a smirk. It quickly faded as the beastly opponent sprouted three wings from it's back, one on the left shoulder blade and two on his right. It's figure was somewhat similar to the first one, being pale-skinned in a human-like body. Pieces of clothes remained on him while the rest was either black or grey skin. It looked like the epitome of a child's nightmare, the 'boogieman' in reality.

Naruto could only look up as the figure rose off the ground, **"I'll kill you now Kyuubi!"** it cried, swooping like a hawk on a prey.

Several Bunshins fell to his speed and might, but the second time it swooped, they learned their lesson and blew up right before it made contact. The plan worked. The demon flew away from the carnage looking a bit sore, but anything would after a dozen explosions happened simultaneously around it.

Naruto now had a strategy, although crude and a bit wasteful, it would work for now. He sent the all except the last twenty clones to charge their mark and explode when close enough. It worked the first few 'booms' until the creature flapped it's powerful wings sending blades of air swiveling, destroying most of the clones. He hated the fact that it seemed to be able to use jutsus without actually performing a jutsu. They were simply demonic powers.

A once impossible fight quickly turned into a winnable one as he noticed his foe slow down some. Now was the time to strike. With the last twenty clones, and the few others that survived the last blast, they all began making swirling balls of chakra with the assistance of their tails. A good thirty four clones stood around the flying demon, and without any more delay, they leaped up one by one.

After sprinting as fast as she could, Hinata had finally made it to where she hope Naruto was. The sight horrified her. She saw her love in Kyuubi mode, which meant he was in some desperate situation, but was truly frightened when the girl saw his enemy. It was like taking a villain right out of a horror novel. She wanted to cheer as the hordes of clones jumped around, trying desperately to snag him with a **Rasengan**, but found herself immobile when the demon locked eyes with her. Suddenly, it took off into a straight line headed right for her.

Naruto was confused at first but went stiff to see what it's target was. He had the nearest clone grab him by the forearm and swing him straight up in order to intercept the attack. The monster was only a meter away from her face when he suddenly stopped and spiraled upwards with great force. He made it just in time to strike it with his attack then landed on the cat walk right in front of Hinata. If this was any other occasion, he'd give her a reassuring hug, but the blond knew he had no time to do so.

The entire time Gato locked himself in his office, hiding underneath his desk, which was, coincidentally, right above the dome. A sudden crash and his table was flipped over, and where it lay, now stood a ferocious looking beast. The short man could only whimper as the demon smiled, grabbing his throat, and descending back to the arena.

From behind the blond, a second figure came running through the hall. Kakashi stopped short of his destination when he saw Naruto, but surrounded in a red-fox shaped chakra blanket. He was ready to run towards the girl next to him and save her, when he realized she was holding onto one of the boy's hand, and not only that, she was not affected by his appearance nor the red chakra, "Naruto? What exactly is going on?" he asked, albeit very slowly.

The boy flinched. He definitely didn't want more people learning the situation, but then again, it was his sensei, "Gomen Kakashi-sensei, demo, I can't really explain it right now. I just need help killing that," he said in between pants pointing at the figure lowering from the ceiling. Kakashi's eyes widened. Being an elite ninja, having gone through many perilous journeys across the Elemental Continent, he'd never seen such an awful sight, and that was without looking at the fat man being held, "You truly amaze me with the type of trouble you get into," he said with a sigh. Naruto smiled feeling that it may not be so bad letting his teacher in on a few things.

The Fifth finally reached the ground, where he still held Gato by the neck, **"Now… what to do with this soul? Should I bargain for a trade? Or kill him now?"** it said.

Kakashi dove into the earth with his **Doton: Dochuu Senkou** technique, while Naruto approach the soon to be fried enemy. He shrugged at it's comment, "Go ahead. We were gonna kill him anyways. He's almost as worse as you," the boy said uncaringly.

The demon frowned a bit, founding his hostage useless. It crushed the man's neck and threw it to the side. With that out of the way, Naruto gathered the rest of his clones for one last charge. The demon approached with the same eagerness to kill, pulling one of his wings back to bring up another wind attack. Suddenly, it heard the ground crumble and birds chirping. From the ground, Kakashi leaped, **"Raikiri!"** he shouted, thrusting his hand through the demon's back.

The Jounin's hand visibly was protruding from its chest, but that didn't kill him, **"Foolish mortal. I am immune from death,"** the fiend roared humorously. The cyclops kept his arm pinned, but was worried at what his opponent really was. He didn't have time to fret when another shout came along.

All of the clones that charged poofed out of existence giving the real one cover, "Wanna bet?" he said. From his red fox clock, a third, chakra infused, hand shot out of his chest heading straight for the Demon. It made contact, and his target let out a deafening scream. Luckily, Kakashi reeled his arm back in time before being caught in the attack and having to be nearby as the creature cried out.

Naruto landed on the ground, a few meters away from his wriggling opponent. It cursed in odd languages he could not understand, though hinting it didn't originate from earth. Gradually, it disintegrated into nothing.

Both the blond and his sensei, fell to the floor on one knee breathing heavily, "When we get out of here, I'll be expecting one hell of an explanation," he said.

The boy smiled as he felt two small arms wrap around him, "I thought so," he said shifting his body over to return the hug. It was over. Two down, six to go.

* * *

**Well hope you guys enjoyed. Your welcome to nag me about updates, i need it. BTW, that person who hugged Naruto was Hinata 'small arms', just to clarify.  
**

**Also, i'll be explaining the Zabuza and Haku sitch next chapter. Zabuza is dead, but Haku is still alive. Without Naruto there, i couldn't really save Haku the typical way, but that's ok.  
**

**Just as a recap: Oniouji #3 died in chapter 4, #5 died now. Naruto's outfit is slightly different and he knows wind and fire manipulation. His jutsu for fire is Kaenhira, which he made up.**

**Go REVIEW for Naruhina Fluff next chapter!!!**

**l**

**l**

**V  
**


	17. The New Land of Waves

**I'm not gonna make up some BS excuse about not updating so i'll just get straight to it.**

**If you haven't noticed, i went back and changed a lot of the dialogue in the early chapters (everything between Ch3-Ch10). Kyuubi is more formal and less cynical. There is no more 'Ruto-kun and Nikawa, i got rid of most of that.**

**Well now that i fixed up all the stuff i disliked about this fic, i can now freely write more on this fic without having to regret stuff haha. Well i'll just say it.. Sorry for the 4 month wait, i'll try to do better.  
**

**(A/N Jutsus): Kikaichu- Destruction Bugs; Mizuame Nabara no Jutsu- Starch Syrup Capture Field; Hakke Rokujuuyonshou- Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Kishi does, and he's done a great job with it!**

**ps. forgot to ask but... REVIEW PLEASE~!!!  
**

* * *

The New Land of Waves

It had been an extremely long day and everyone was glad to have it over. That night became a night of recovery, both physical and mental. In one room a protective mother cradled her resting child. Her eyes were worn out from the worrying and the crying but her mouth would not rest from whispering comforting nothings to her son's ears.

In another room a silent dark-haired boy sat on the floor with his arms resting on his knees and his chin against folded hands. Beside him was a pink-haired girl sleeping in a futon. It was this odd feeling of obligation that kept the young boy from leaving her side. He was her teammate, a comrade, and dare he say it, a friend. And today she almost died. Sasuke still had the vision of Sakura's prone lifeless body lying on the floor, pins sticking out on every direction. Oh how he wished his Sharingan was inactive before he looked, but then again an image like that was hard to get rid of even without his doujutsu. He also remembered the rage that quickly built in him. He wanted the enemy dead almost as much as he wanted Itachi dead.

"You're so stupid" the boy whispered to no one in particular. It could have been towards Sakura or himself, perhaps both. His head felt heavy as he let it slide back against the wall. He remained quiet as he tried ridding himself from the thoughts of his unexpected savior. That seemed impossible for the moment.

The living room was the most crowded place in the house, yet one of the quietest. The only sounds that could be heard were the soothing melody of night critters. Not even a snore went past Kiba's mouth, a testament to how exhausted he was. The tattooed boy was lying on the floor with one injured leg elevated by his pack. On one side of the couch was Hinata sleeping soundly snuggled into between an orange and lavender sleeping bag made blanket, though a fairly large portion of the couch seemed unoccupied. It was reserved for someone but that someone never showed up.

Naruto was sitting on the steps of the front porch, his feet on the ground and elbows propped on the wooden floor. As exhausted as he was, he just couldn't sleep. Even with the tempting comfort of Hinata as a snuggle buddy, there was too many things in the young blonds' mind. He wasn't too surprised when another presence approached from inside the house.

"Couldn't sleep?" said the silver-haired man.

Naruto leaned back and let his head fall far enough to see an upside-down face, "Kakashi-sensei,"

The older male stood next to the boy, leaning against one of the wooden beams as support, "After all the excitement I would have thought you'd be as tired as the rest," he said from behind his favorite book.

The whiskered boy flashed his sensei a wide grin, "I got loads of energy!" though his point was obscured when he yawned.

The jounin let himself smile, "I see. You know, there's this thing going around called sleep. Everyone seems to be doing it," he said sarcastically.

Naruto chuckled at the remark, "Why aren't you?"

"Nm? I never liked following the latest trends," he calmly stated. Seeing that he was going no where, Kakashi decided to sit next to his student. "Since neither of us are planning to sleep, I'm sure now would be a good time for your little explanation,"

It was useless to hide or stall. He knew he had to tell him the truth sooner or later, though later would be better. "Where's Haku?" the blond asked randomly.

"In Inari's bedroom with Kurenai. She's a girl you know," referring to their injured guest.

Without looking up, the boy replied, "Haku? Yeah I know,"

The scarecrow gave him a curious look, "You saw?" It seemed that those highly esteemed book did have an affect on its readers.

Naruto's brow furrowed, "No. Hinata would've killed me," he said sounding very much like an old married man.

He nodded slightly with agreement, "Then how did you find out?"

'Haku told me herself in an alternative universe,' he said in his head. "A friend told me,"

"Sidetracking," Kakashi calmly stated.

Naruto shook his head, "It's part of my explanation," seeing his sensei looking at him confused, he stood up and stretched his arms. "Ne… maybe I should start from the beginning," and with that he began telling his grand tale starting with his knowledge of the Kyuubi. Slowly he eased the poor man through his story much in the same way he did the first time he told Hinata. It took a portion of the night for him to tell him the entire deal from time-traveling, to demon hunting, to the unfortunate events that was sure to come. The way he moved and imitated in his story-telling would have been amusing if the topic wasn't so serious… and a bit chilling.

The small orange book was no longer in sight as the masked nin gave the boy his full attention. If it weren't for the visual proof of the infamous Rasengan and the many accurate specifics the blond included about his personal past no one outside a select few knew, he would have never believe him.

With all that information and stress his student kept secret, it was a wonder the boy could even sleep let alone crack a smile, "That is… one fascinating story. Aside me, who else knows?" he questioned.

Naruto walked back towards his instructor and sat in his previous position, "Sarutobi-ojii-san already knows. And I told Hinata a long time ago too," then he yawned.

Kakashi wasn't surprised that the Hokage was informed, but was a bit startled to hear that the young little heiress knew about the secret the whole time. Then again that would explain much of her reaction from earlier that day, and perhaps the closeness Naruto shared with her.

'When I think of a person being the most unpredictable ninja, I expect them to reveal a secret hobby. Gardening perhaps. But an entire secret life? And universe no less,' the adult said in his head. "Naruto, I'm very impressed that you've gone through so much. No mere person should have been able to go through what you've had and come out… relatively normal," though normal was a vague word when it involved ninjas. The silver-haired man tore his gaze from the dark woods ahead to look at the little hero, "Maybe tomorrow after a good night's rest we could…"

The blond had already fallen asleep. 'It seems all he needed to do was get a little pressure off his chest,' he continued in his head. Not wanting to leave his student out on a cold night, he carried him back into the house and rested him on the couch. 'Kurenai wouldn't mind… much,' he justified. Kakashi then let himself fall asleep on the unoccupied recliner on the far side of the room.

Yes, this night was one of recovery and relief.

* * *

And today was a day of celebration.

Kurenai was the first to wake, aside from Tsunami who had already begun cooking a wondrous feast. The red-eyed woman spent most of the previous night nursing her injured comrades and watching over the mist kunoichi. The teen was still unconscious, but was expected to rise today.

The Jounin exited the room and made her way down the stairway into the living room. She quickly noticed a young couple snuggled together on the couch. They really were cute and she figured it would be alright seeing that most of the danger should be over. Normally she wouldn't interfere in her students relationship, they were genin thus legal adults, but they were still in a mission. She knew a handful of people who'd made horrible mistakes because they let themselves become distracted. Her students will not fall into that category.

Setting those memories aside, Kurenai joined Tsunami in the kitchen to help prepare breakfast. She gladly accepted the extra pair of hands. Kakashi was next to get up, following Tazuna and soon everyone in the living room. The group made some teasing fuss about their blond comrade's position. He was last to wake and refused to let go of his bed buddy, not that Hinata really minded, though it was a bit embarrassing when everyone began teasing them. Instead she sunk her head into the crook of Naruto's neck, which may have worsened the situation. All in all, the living room as literally alive with glee.

The guest room upstairs also seemed to have lighten up. The pink-haired kunoichi was surprised to wake up and see her crush sitting not too far from her, "Sasuke-kun?" she called out but got no response.

Slowly she got up, ignoring some of the lingering pains. The girl got on her knees and crawled over to where the boy napped. It was a sight she definitely wanted to remember. Never in her life had she seen the dark-haired boy look so peaceful. There was scowl that normally dampened his handsome features, just a closed mouth with a little drool crust. A smile crept on her face the more she looked on, it didn't occur that her face was getting closer and closer to his. Suddenly a pair eyelids began fluttering. This caused her to immediately jump back and fall on her slightly bruised rump.

The boy's eyes began to focus and soon discovered the site of his pink-haired teammate fallen on her butt looking like she had just seen a ghost, "What are you doing?" he asked.

Sakura blinked a few times before responding, "Oh! Ano… nothing! I just woke up and saw you sleeping," it was honest enough.

He let out a 'Hmn' and proceeded to stretch out his legs. The way he slept was a killer to his muscles.

She then mimicked his actions, just realizing how sore her muscles really were. That's when the her memories of yesterday began flooding in. She had fought along side her crush. They won and most importantly, she received the praise and the acknowledgement she yearned for. "Sasuke-kun, where are the others?"

"Probably downstairs," he answered.

'Why was he here again?' she asked herself.** "Isn't it obvious!? He stayed with us the entire night CHA!"** her inner self cheered. The girl almost let out a high pitched squeal, "Were you here all night?" she said, doing her best to hold back a shit-eating grin.

The young avenger averted his gaze and walked towards the door, "It was the least I could do after yesterday," he said. It was slight, but sure enough a small hint of a blush was on his pale face. "But that better be the last time you do something so stupid," he continued, this time in a harsher tone.

The moment the door closed, just behind the boy's heels, she grabbed her blanket and held it tight against her chest as she squealed and giggled. The girl was one stepped closer to getting the boy of her dreams.

Outside Sasuke pretended he didn't hear the girly scream the rang from the other room. It would have been a shame if he had suddenly lost all respect for his comrade because of that small moment of weakness. He'd give her that much at least.

* * *

"SUGOI!" the blond exclaimed.

Dinner was skipped last night so to make it up Tsunami, with the help of Kurenai and Hinata, batched up a breakfast fit for several kings. There were a few large plates of steamed rice, a giant bowl of miso soup, plenty broiled and grilled fish, a plate stacked with tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), a few small bowls of onsen tamago (eggs cooked in hot water), some tsukemono pickles, seasoned nori (dried seaweed), natto, and a great big bowl of pork ramen. It was a kind of unspoken rule that the bowl of ramen was reserved for the knuckleheaded blond, though he did offer to share it, mainly with his indigo-haired girlfriend.

Tsunami smiled as she watched her guest enjoy themselves with her cooking, "Please everyone dig in,"

"Let's celebrate our freedom from Gato's rule. To the new Land of Waves!" Tazuna cheered. Everyone in the table joined him with their cups raised high. Hoots and hollers rounded the table following a loud shout of "Itadakimasu!"

One by one, the group finished their meals. The last of course was Naruto and Kiba who had turned breakfast into an eating contest. Each thanked their hostess for the wonderful meal before retiring back into the living room.

Both Hinata and Sakura were happy to help clean up after the meal. Tsunami gave an appreciative smile and began picking up the empty plates.

Kurenai in the mean time grabbed an extra plate and began piling some of the left over food, "I'll go check on the guest," she said before heading back upstairs.

The moment she woke up, she almost regretted it. Her entire body was sore from head to toe. The longer the mist teen laid awake, the more she began remembering what had occurred. 'I've been spared?'

It was then that the door opened and a woman holding a tray of food entered, "You're awake I see,"

The teen scooted up as she propped her elbows on the futon below her, "Where am I?"

"Some place safe," the jounin replied, setting down the tray for the girl eat.

Haku sat up and began eyeing the food almost suspiciously, "Why did you bring me here?"

From the door way a deeper voice called out, "Several reasons actually,"

The red-eyed Jounin turned to face the masked intruder, "Kakashi, she's indecent!"

Haku didn't even realize her own state of undress. Underneath her blanket she wore only her plain white panties and from the waste up she was bandaged ending right past the swell of her breast. She wasn't really exposed but nevertheless she lifted her blanket up to her shoulders.

Kakashi ignored his colleague's complaints and crouched next to the wounded teen, "You spared my students lives and that should be reason enough to spare your's,"

She clutched the blanket closer to her as her gaze moved away from the Konoha nins, "I did not want to harm anyone, but it was the will of… Zabuza-sama! Where is he?" she asked frantically, ready to throw the blanket off of her and search for the other masked nin despite her lack of clothes.

Kurenai's face turned grim while Kakashi kept his face stoic, "He died,"

Haku's eyes widened. It was silly of her but she honestly believed her master would never fall into the hands of their foes. "Then I am truly a useless tool," her words came out wearisomely.

"I doubt Zabuza would think so," the silver-haired man replied, "If you were as worthless as you say, he wouldn't have asked us to watch over you," his words weren't exact but were true.

The mist kunoichi stayed suspicious at the man's words, "Is that why I am here? To honor an enemies dying wish," she really was touched that her mentor would think of her as he died, but she was also raised to keep her guard up at all times.

There was no misdirection in his answer, "No,"

But that made her even more confused, "We know about the bloodline hunting that has swept Mizu no Kuni. As jounin of Konoha, we offer a place of refuge," the rookie jounin added.

That was exactly what the dark-haired teen had wanted. To stop living on the run and settle down somewhere safe, but that vision didn't mean nearly as much without her mentor, "And I would be forced to swear my allegiance to your village and fight for a cause I don't believe in. Or perhaps you wish to breed me for my bloodline?" She answered back with a glare.

Kakashi sighed in response, "You make us sound so grim," he whispered to himself.

"Yes you will have to make an oath of loyalty to Konoha, but your career as a ninja and wishes to reestablish your clan is to your own discretion. Nothing more than your word not betray our village is all we ask of you," Haku could see the honesty in her eyes. Perhaps it wasn't bad to dream.

She turned her body towards the two jounin and bowed as best she could, "Gomennasai, I shouldn't have been so rude before. Would it be ok if I were to have some time to think about it?"

It was almost funny how formal she seemed to be. The one-eyed nin gave his signature grin with a curved eye as a sign of agreement. He stood up and walked out the room followed by the slightly older female.

Haku had a lot to think about, but it could wait. The smell of the food had been intoxicating from the beginning and she was starved. With no one else around she set manners aside and dug into her meal.

* * *

Not to far away from the house, Naruto wailed on the trunk of a mighty tree as if it were a training stump. He felt the need to train even more, not only because of the up coming Chuunin Exams, but due to the horrible beating he received from the fight yesterday. Sure he defeated his opponent, but that was with the help of the legendary copy cat nin. The boy couldn't rely on his teacher to help him out every time.

Somewhere between reflecting on his battle and chipping off the last piece of bark in his range a familiar presence approached, "Hey dobe,"

"Teme," he shouted behind him.

Without warning Sasuke charged the tree the young blond was practicing on and blasted it with a flame infused palm-strike, "You owe me a D rank," the dark-haired boy said with a smug grin.

The whiskered boy was forced to jump back to avoid being caught in the impressive eruption of flames, "B-bastard! I was training on that tree!"

"So? Pick another," he didn't care that he had just destroyed the proof of his efforts.

After a brief moment, Naruto let his anger subside. It didn't matter if he lost the bet since if his memory served correctly, Team 7 had finished their last D-ranked assignment before they left for Wave Country, "When did you get the Kaenhira down?"

Sasuke thought about his fight with Haku, "During a fight yesterday,"

"I'll definitely learn Housenka no Jutsu in time for the Chuunin Exams!" he grinned.

"Your thinking ahead?" he mocked.

Not catching the taunt, he pounded his chest, "I always do!"

Sasuke merely replied with a 'Hmn' as he began stretching out his limbs. "You up for a spar?" the boy was always ready for a good challenge. Surely he felt confident enough to pull a significant win.

To his surprise the young blond rejected the offer, "Maybe later. I think I'm gonna go look for Hinata,"

Sasuke raised a curious brow, "You chickening out?"

The jinchuuriki almost laughed, "She can be scarier than you if she wants. And her punches hurt more," he added.

The dark-haired genin let his teammate walk away, 'If this keeps up I'll be way past your level,' he then began beating a nearby tree with all he had. His goal? To chip off every last bark…

* * *

Naruto had a pleasant walk back to the house. He saw Shino on his way and tried calling out to him though he seemed to far engaged in bug hunting. Soon enough he heard the yips of a small white dog. Even though the boy was injured it didn't mean he couldn't take his dog out for a walk.

Kiba approached Naruto. His bad leg was still wrapped in bandages and in with his right arm he held a solid piece of wood as a makeshift crutch, "Oi Naruto!"

"Kiba, you sure you should be out here?" the blond asked.

The tattooed boy waved his free hand in a shooing manner, "Bah, I'm just going for a walk. Ano… don't tell Hinata ya?" his face quickly becoming nervous.

The blond let out a loud laugh, "Only if she doesn't bring it up,"

The Inuzuka frowned. As fast as his good leg could take him, he and Akamaru hurried off just in case their female teammate decided to drag them back indoors.

As soon as the house was insight, Naruto spotted indigo colored locks through one of the window sills. With a sly grin the boy snuck inside the home and treaded carefully into the kitchen.

He was silent as night, and she had her back turned to him. He pressed his feet firmly on the floor as his body readied to pounce. The boy saw her arm raise slightly so before he could get caught, he leapt forward. Only another foot closer and he would have had his prey, that is until a wet hand appeared in front of him. Hinata flicked her fingers and splashed soap onto the blonds' face.

She turned her head around and flashed a cheeky grin, "I'm a ninja remember," her Byakugan was active.

He sat with his butt on the floor looking up at her, "You look more like a house wife to me," and she very well did with the apron on.

The girl let on a small pout, "I can't be both?"

In less then a second he was standing up with his arms around her waist, her back pressed against his chest, and his cheek rested on her temple, "You wanna be?"

The young Hyuuga instantly turned red, "N-Naruto-kun?"

Hesitantly he let her go then created a shadow clone, "Let's go for a walk 'Nata. He could finish up for you," his clone grumbled something about abusing his jutsus.

Her face brightened as she nodded. As fast as she could, the girl wiped her hands and gave the scrub to the clone before giving him a kiss on the cheek. The clone smiled and quieted his complaints. Feeling satisfied, Hinata grabbed his arm and held it tight as they exited the building.

The lavender-eyed kunoichi was led on a short walk around the forest, "Ano Naruto-kun, was there anything you wanted to talk about,"

His free hand was kept behind his head while his eyes were aimed high upon the canopy. Small streams of light colored the floor from above, "The Chuunin Exams are coming up," That seemed to have taken up most of his thoughts.

"Hai, you've told me all about it," she replied.

Naruto shifted his head to look at the girl wrapped in his arm, "I was thinking about not competing this year," his face showed earnestness.

She was a bit taken back, "But you'd definitely make chuunin this time!"

"Haha, you bet!" then he sighed, "But if I don't then Sasuke won't end up with the curse seal ," it was good reasoning.

"I… I see. If you really think it's for the best. Even if Neji…" she trailed off.

The blond thought about not being there for her if or when she fought her cousin, "I'm not abandoning you!"

Hinata frowned, "I never said you are,"

Naruto shook himself free from her grasp and stared deep into her eyes, "Let's train 'Nata. Let's work really hard so if I don't make it to the Exams and you end up fighting Neji, you could still kick his ass!" In his blue orbs lied the epitome of optimism.

The Hyuuga heiress couldn't help but smile, "You really think I can beat him?"

He flashed her a wide grin while doing the 'Good Guy' pose, "Of course!" he walked over to large boulder and took of his white hoody, "Now… let's get that coat off you,"

An odd gleam shined in the boy's eyes as he brought his hands in front of him while waving his fingers around. All together it spelled trouble for the lavender-eyed girl, "Eep!" he had pounced.

* * *

The rest of the week went by much in the same pace. Since the trouble was pretty much over, guard duty was mostly canceled. Instead they were forced into volunteer work at the bridge. Sasuke was eager to count this as a D-rank mission gladly getting Naruto to take up his shift. He knew the true face of evil were those who went back on bets so he sucked up his complaints and worked. It wasn't so toiling when you can wield the power of thirty men with a simple cross hand-seal and a shout of "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu,"

When they weren't at the bridge, they were training. Most had already finished the tree climbing exercise. It wasn't until Kiba was relieved from his leg prison that the rest of the genins moved on to other training.

Eager to improve herself, Sakura started to truly embrace her training. This of course got the kunoichi to ask Kurenai to teach her the after image technique, 'Magen: Konpaku Zanzou'. She loved the power she felt when her opponents would fall victim to it's deception. The girl only wondered how affective it would be on real ninjas.

Hinata also followed on Sakura's example when she received instruction on Mizuame Nabara no Jutsu from Kakashi, a technique that would cause the victim to be immobilized from a sticky floor. Though it was really Naruto's idea that she learn a water technique, and who better to teach her then the man who claimed to know a thousand jutsus. It was actually a very useful technique for the Hyuuga. If she successfully executes the technique, her victim would be helpless against her Hakke Rokujuuyonshou, that is when she masters the technique.

Shino kept true to his unique clan techniques. After being around Naruto and watching him fight, he speculated on the possibility of create multiple Mushi Bunshins without having to multiply his reserves of kikaichu.

As far as Naruto, Sasuke, and Kiba were concerned, they mostly took upon themselves in having friendly three-way spars. Though it always led to an all out brawl. Limiting themselves with only taijutsu, no one person ever had a significant lead. When one of them felt themselves in control, the other two would swiftly bring that person down… and hard.

* * *

It wasn't long until the bridge was finally complete, which marked their return home. There were many offerings of thanks from Tazuna's family and the rest of the villagers. Some people brought them simple gifts such as rain coats, herbal medicine, and a sheath for a sword, though none of them needed it.

Everyone was already outside with their packs ready. Tsunami walked out of her home followed by another younger female. "Are you sure you don't want to come Haku?" Kurenai asked.

She gave the woman a nod, "Yes. I've talked to Tsunami-san and she offered to let me stay and help around the village. It's very peaceful here and I'd like to live this out as long as I can," The teen said smiling at her new land lady.

Behind her a young eight year old boy yipped in happiness. Though he would never admit it out loud, he had quickly formed a strong crush on the new resident.

The two jounins nodded towards each other, "Konoha will have our doors open for you anytime," Kakashi added as he walked towards the group of genins.

"Arigato," Haku bowed.

They all began waving their last goodbyes as the two teams trekked back home. Naruto gave Inari a small pep talk about taking care of his family before snagging Hinata's hand and leading her to the front of the group. As soon as they were a good distance from the rest of the pack the boy spoke, "Hey 'Nata, what's going to happen when we get back?"

The girl's smile slipped slightly, "I'm not sure… I know I'll tell my father that I'm going to see you no matter what he says,"

"He's not gonna be happy," it was true.

"I know… b-but what else could I do," she said with a slight stutter.

The whiskered boy took both her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes once more, "What if you lived with me?"

* * *

**Want to know what happens next????**

**Just click the rectangle box below!**

**\ | /**

**V  
**


	18. Another Target

**This is by far the LARGEST Chapter i've ever written. A good 9k (9,000) words more or less. There's just so much i want to say right now, but i think i'll leave most of it for the bottom A/N. Just know that this makes up for the 2 week wait (at least i got you guys 3 one-shots :p)**

**So I really didn't plan on making this chapter so long. It's just that i planned on breezing through a certain battle scene, but instead got engorged (somewhat) in it and lengthened up the chapter, but more on that later.  
**

**WARNING!!! Small spoilers based on recent information on Akatsuki. Nothing major though.**

**Crap i forgot what i was going to say... (after i take out trash) OH YEAH!!! I'll just go ahead and thank all of those who i know are gonna review this chapter.. hmm... Zouza (that review maniac XD) HoNdeR (for sure), Ryuu, LR(Leaf Ranger), Chewie(the)Cookies(monster lol), Rose Tiger (my fellow fluff lover) you guys know i can go on and just list people who reviewed often lol. Much appreciation to you all and of course... REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW... or next chapter won't be pleasant Muahaha (kidding of course)  
**

**(Tranlation a/n): matte- wait(wait up)**

**Lastly: Power levels. Naruto without Kyuubi's help is around mid Chuunin. He's slightly weaker than in the beginning of Shippuuden. I'm trying not to overload him with a bunch of jutsus, but i plan on giving him at least two more technique to help him prepare.  
**

* * *

"What if you lived with me?"

She stopped dead in her tracks, 'He's n-not serious! He c-couldn't be…' with eyes nearly as wide as Lee's, the girl stared right back at his bright blue orbs, "N-nani?" her voice was almost too soft to hear.

The young blond padded the her hand before grinning like a madman, "Haha, I'm just joking 'Nata,"

Her stupefied expression quickly turned into an angry pout, half-hearted of course. As quick as he took back those giants words, she recoiled her hands and crossed her arms. The lavender-eyed kunoichi wasn't really mad, though she did feel something tug her heart… perhaps it was disappointment.

Naruto watched the girl walk past him, 'Ne… maybe it wasn't as funny as I thought it'd be,' he strode forward to catch up, "Matte!"

The girl didn't slow down, making sure he made the effort, "That wasn't funny," her voice still much to soft.

He rubbed his head, "Hai… gomen. But you know I wouldn't ask something so selfish," she looked at him curiously, "Your clan means a lot to you, I couldn't ask you to give it all up,"

That was one of the things she loved about him. Naruto always put the people he cared about before himself. If there was one thing he was not, it was selfish… except most of the time when Hinata had her coat off…

The girl couldn't stay mad a second longer. She turned around and fell into his warm embrace. It was almost frightening how much power he potentially had over her, but it wasn't like he would ever abuse it… except all those times when Hinata had her coat off…

"It's really not as wonderful as you make it sound," her words soft against the cotton of his sweater, 'and you mean a lot more to me,' and it was true. Aside her younger sister, who she barely saw anymore, and a few of the branch members that worked the main house, there wasn't anyone she interacted with. And even less of those numbers truly cared.

"It beats living alone," he tried to comfort her.

'You wouldn't have to,' was what she wanted to say. Sadly they were interrupted by their fellow Konoha nins. "Hey! Save all that mushy crap till we get back will ya?" Kiba teased.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head as grinning sheepishly while Hinata sunk her head into the blonds' hoody to hide her embarrassment, but really worsening the situation. The two quickly blended in with the rest of the group. The blond made sure to enjoy the trip back, for he knew when they reached Konoha, there will serious matters to take care off. He had to rig the Chuunin Exams.

* * *

Behind it's mighty walls, the village was safe from the land carving winds. At nights like these, the stars were bright and streets were clear. Usually those were signs of a good evening, but the Jinchuuriki couldn't help but feel a terrible omen was looming.

Where he lived, the villagers feared him. Some hated him, but most were smart enough not to do a single thing to him. He was a monster, someone who'd easily succumb to his own bloodlust. He was Sabaku no Gaara.

High atop the village walls he stood gazing at the endless sand. Unknown to most people, the one-tailed Jinchuuriki did not like yielding to the unnecessary bloodlust. He did his best to stay away from the villagers and away from temptation. Then to his surprise an unknown presence approached.

No one was stupid enough to try to sneak up on the boy unless they were hired to kill him, but his father hadn't done that in years. He realized it would be a waste to send his Shinobi on suicidal missions, "Do you wish to die?" the red head spilled massive amounts of killer intent just to prove his point.

"Oh Gaara-kun, I think it's much too late for that," a feminine voice called forth. Soon she revealed herself under the night sky. The lady wore a dark robe of the deepest shade of violet, almost black, that hung from her shoulders and hovered just above the ground. It was parted in a way that revealed great mounds of cleavage, while her hood was pulled back to reveal an odd shade of sandy brown hair the went just past her shoulder blades and flaring orange eyes between two long bangs. If any other man would have seen her, they would instantly have been attracted, but Gaara would not. Instead he was repulsed.

His head began throbbing painfully, worse than any time he had a craving to kill, "M-mother… Why do you grieve mother!?" he asked in confusion. The voice in his head kept screaming odd profanities against this person.

The woman laughed, "As well she should," She closed her distance on the Suna nin… then the wind picked up.

He did not like her.

"Leave me alone!" the possessed boy shouted. A large wave of sand quickly shot out of his gourd and attacked the woman. The robed lady did not falter. With a swing of her hand a strong breeze flowed around her and redirected his attack.

Gaara shouldn't have been surprised. He could tell that she was a strong foe but her power wasn't exactly what he expected. The Jinchuuriki gathered his sand around demonic woman and condensed them into large, very sharp Shurikens. The oversized projectiles continued circling the woman going along with the flow of the wind and entered her small bubble. Without hesitation he attacked, but before his sand shurikens could make contact, she dissolved into air. Not even a second after, a soft but very deadly whisper crept to his ears.

"I am number two… and I'm going to kill you," it was as if a sharp blade was pressed flatly against his neck. It was deadly and could strike at any time. At a moment of panic he sent all the available sand he had around him and exploded it in all directions.

The sudden blast was enough to break a portion of the wall down and send the two falling. Being able to manipulate the winds, the possessed woman forced the air to push her into the wall allowing her to slide down neatly while her claw-like fingers dug into stone. After getting a grip on reality, Shukaku's Jinchuuriki summoned more sand beneath him, saving the boy from a deadly impact.

Within moments the two foes faced each other back on the ground away from prying eyes. He didn't expect their previous attack to have alerted people.

* * *

Temari and her brunet brother were walking along the quite market street looking for their other sibling. The Kazekage had an announcement he wanted to make and it was crucial that the three of them were present. It wasn't long till a dark wave of killer intent washed across the village. The two instantly recognized it as Gaara's.

"Damn it… Kankuro let's go," the blonde called.

When they neared the village walls two chuunin approached, "Temari-sama, Kankuro-sama… a woman… a very strong woman is attacking Gaara-san," one of them shouted.

He had his comrade's arm draped over his shoulder, the other chuunin bleeding profusely around his chest, "We tried to intervene… but her power is incredible," the young man said, coughing with a spray of blood.

The younger blonde gave the two a nod, "Head back to get treatment and call for back up, we'll do as much as we can," she ordered.

"Hai, but please be careful. Her manipulation of wind is beyond even yours," with that last warning, the two left for help.

"What's this all about?" the face-painted genin questioned. His sister didn't answer, instead continued running contemplating what exactly they were about to face. As fast as their feet could take them, the siblings sprinted outside the large hallway like gate and ran towards the dark swell of chakra. What they saw was terrifying alone.

Gaara was already halfway in his transformation with two long arms of sand, a single tail, and most of his face covered in his own sand. Opposite of him was an unfamiliar woman. Her hair whipped around as she stood confidently inside a small tornado.

"Who is that?" Kankuro whispered to himself. He first expected this to be another one of Gaara's blood craving massacres. The thought that he was fighting an opponent on even ground hadn't occurred never mind the chance that his brother was loosing.

With deep annoyance the Jinchuuriki threw his large sandy arms towards the demoness. She easily dodged by jumping right before he reached her and ran down the lengths of his limbs. More wind whipped around her making deep slices into his arms. Chunks of sand fell off the large appendage but just as quickly reattached themselves. Before the demonic lady could get closer, the young boy enclosed himself inside a hard shell of sand, his large arms shrinking enough to accommodate the fit.

"Mother, this woman… this woman!" he cried clutching his head tightly.

Temari was shocked at the scene, but even more she was mad. Who was this person to attack her brother? It was a very rare occurrence that she'd feel this kind of sisterly protection. In fact this may have been the first she'd ever remember acting this way. Following her instincts, she whipped her fan out and blew a fierce wind towards the attacker, "Get away from him!"

The busty woman smiled at the attack. It had little effect on her, "What a pleasant breeze," she turned her face towards the fan-wielding kunoichi, "Are you his whore?"

If it was possible, her anger instantly doubled, "I'm his sister. Now who are you?" she shouted.

The winds died down slightly, allowing a better condition for hearing, "I have a name … but that doesn't matter right now. You can call me his executioner," those words lingered in the air as she summoned a powerful cutting wind that slew towards the sand dome.

Gaara didn't know what hit him. He was sitting inside his protective shield trying to settle himself down when a whistling sound was heard and a clean sliver of his sand disappeared, then an odd sensation pulsed around his arm. Sea green eyes trailed down his arm to see sticky liquids ooze out.

"Blood…" at first a whisper but then grew to a scream, "Pain! I FEEL PAIN!"

Though she couldn't see him, the blonde felt his pain. It hurt her as well, "You Bitch!" she shouted, charging the woman with her fan trailing behind. The teen sent shot after shot of stone carving gales. All dissipated as soon as it neared the robed demon, "Kankuro!" she cried out.

The middle child simply watched. He had no clue what had possessed his older sister to attack an enemy way beyond their level. Beyond Gaara's level. But when she heard her shout, realization slapped him in the face. The young teen was just standing there letting his family fight an impossible battle while he did nothing. Steeling himself, he attached his chakra strings to his puppet and followed the blonde into battle.

Their foe smiled at their approach. 'Can I spare a few playing with these children,' she asked her tenant.

"**Don't fail the objective,"** a deep growl erupted. She smiled at the answer.

"Treat me well children," the wind that wrapped her began blurring her figure and underneath that cover she began fading while splitting into two physical bodies. A bunshin of sorts.

When the wind died, there were two identical semi-transparent foes. The first shot towards the girl, other towards the boy. Temari didn't get a chance to send another slice of wind when a breeze formed underneath her and propelled her high into the sky.

Kankuro watched his sister being blasted off the ground, but refocused himself when his foe approached. The possessed woman watched her prey with a enticing smile. She knew this boy was different from the Jinchuuriki, the same as any other male… he was a person susceptible to seduction.

Slowly she approached the boy, not in a intimidating matter but rather had a sway in her hips. When the busty woman pulled out a sharp fingernail, he tensed, but that ended just as quickly as it came. "Young man… do you really want to fight me?" her sharp digit fell upon the middle of her coat and slowly cut a slice down her already deep midriff. Kankuro gulped as more of her breast were exposed. He had to focus, but the odd aura the wafted the air kept him nearly paralyzed. It was almost as if it were…

"A genjutsu!" he hissed. With a pull of his finger, Karasu revealed a small clean sickle and made a shallow cut in his leg dispelling the technique. The woman now had a frown on her face. She didn't think the stupid looking kid would notice the illusion.

"Smart boy, but can you still resist-" she was cut off as twin puppet arms with large blades protruding from the sides flung themselves towards her. She had enough time to redirect the attack away from her body, but not enough as he sliced off a piece of her clothing. One lucky hit caused the left flap of her robe to fall open fully revealing one of her perfect mounds.

A small trickle of blood came down the puppeteer's nose while he grinned perversely, "That's really nice and all, but I think I'll stick with my dad's books,"

The woman quickly pulled her clothes together, "Shameless!" she cried sending angry bursts of wind at her foe, knocking the boy off his feet and sending him tumbling across the dunes.

Temari was much too distracted to see her brother acting foolishly. She kneeled on her fan, carefully riding the wind back down towards the ground. She hardly noticed the presence of the demonic woman appear next to her. It was really odd that a being with so much yokai was nearly invisible to her senses. "Over here love," her voice floated.

The Suna kunoichi jumped off her fan and swung it towards the source of the noise. "Show yourself!"

The transparent female appeared right in front of her gripping the battle fan tightly, "How effective are you without this thing?" she said while swinging her enemy's weapon downwards flinging the young blonde.

The girl looked downwards and awaited her doom. She knew this was going to cause much pain… but it never came. Her impact was much softer than she anticipated when she realized soft sand rose to cushion her impact.

Gaara had had enough. This woman was taking away people who were meant to prove his existence. Though a small part of him actually cared for their safety, the majority of his reasons were simply to keep his prey away from other predators. His sand dome exploded with a powerful force and in it's place was a mini Shukaku.

"**When you die… I shall truly feel alive!" **Gaara's demon voice shouted. Before anyone could react, massive volumes of sand rose around them and quickly formed a giant sphere. It incased both his siblings and his foe who had reverted back to her single form. They were trapped with no light to aid them, but the Jinchuuriki did not need them. The sand were his eyes.

Below them several groups of Jounin and a squad of Anbu watched as the large globe of sand rose from the ground.

"If the Ichibi is fully released, keep it away from the village at all cost," Baki, the sand sibling's sensei, shouted to the rest of the group.

Atop the village walls, the group of Scorpion masked Anbu analyzed the situation carefully. One of them spotted two lumps rising from the perfect curve, "Over there! Towards the bottom," he said.

Two bodies, quickly recognized as the children of the Kazekage oozed out of the moving sands and slowly fell towards the ground. The group of Suna nins were quick to catch the pair, but just as quickly retreated away form the large threat.

From inside the structure, a large head of Shukaku formed on the inside walls with Gaara protruding above it's glowing yellow eyes. The tinted light was enough to let the Oniouji possessed woman see her situation. Under demon imprinted instincts alone was she able to dodge the constant spikes of sand that shot from every which direction, but failed to keep from getting a few shallow cuts.

"I can't keep this up forever. Hurry up and change to your form!" she shouted aloud towards her demon.

"**Your body is still to fresh. I cannot take up the demonic body yet… I did not anticipate on Shukaku to have put up this much of a fight,"** the being growled.

The woman jumped back and swung around another spike that appeared next to her side. She tried slashing the Bijuu's face with her wind but it had ill effects, "You promised me my eternal youth! I thought I cannot die!" she shouted angrily. Her clothes were in tatter, only a few pieces of cloth remained to cover her form.

"**Fool! You will not die. But you cannot fight him in this form,"** it berated.

At last a thin spear of earth stabbed through the woman's left arm. She let out a shrill cry of agony, "Then I flee!" with her good arm, she summoned as much yokai as possible and let loose a thin focused blade of wind below her creating a small enough gap for air to escape. Before enough sand eclipsed her, she dissipated into the winds and exited the grainy jail.

Gaara was spent, and Shukaku began to tire from fighting both the demon and his jailor's control. The sand around the red-haired boy began crumbling and the roofs collapsed.

From the outside, the larger crowd of spectators gazed the uncommon sight. Temari had just begun to return to the conscious world when her fluttering eyes saw the collapsing structure, "Gaara!" the blonde stood up and ran towards the danger but was held back by her sensei. She glared at him, "Let me go!"

Baki shook his head, "He will survive… he always survives,"

"But he's hurt! That woman made him bleed. Gaara never bleeds!" that remark got the jounin unexpectedly. He had never known the boy to house even a single bruise let alone a drop of blood.

Temari struggled out of his grip and ran towards the large dune. She was followed by several of the other nins but did not let them try to sway her decision. With sharp focused eyes, the teen managed to spot a truffle of red hair. Without her fan she was forced to manually dig the boy out. She ignored the small tears that formed in her eyes, instead focused on her goal. It became a lot easier when her other sibling surprisingly joined. Though the blonde didn't spare him a glance, she was grateful all the same. After a while his body was recovered and declared still living. There was little doubt her otouto would fall victim… he always managed to live.

Without Karasu occupying space, Temari was able to lift the red-head onto the brunet's back. The two carried their younger brother towards the village past the parting crowd of Suna nins.

They weren't sure what to think. What was the demon fighting? Did he simply just loose control? Will he finally die? The horde of people did nothing but stare as the children of the Kazekage walked through the gate hall. Baki was the only one who did something by simply leading his students towards the medic ward.

They finally made it to the clinic and approached the front desk, "Call the medic nins," the blonde ordered.

The receptionist just stared with shocked and fearful eyes. The beast that had given the hospital so many visitors was now a victim himself. "I-I… I don't think I can," she stuttered slightly.

"What do you mean you can't? As the daughter of the Kazekage I order you to call the doctors!" she shouted harshly. If she had her fan, she threaten the irritating woman. Her head turned towards her brother who had laid their younger one on a near by bench. "Kankuro,"

The teen didn't know what to think. He was still unsure about how he felt towards his otouto, if he could call him that. When he charged into battle, it was because he didn't want to be the useless one, didn't want to let his sister fight alone against a powerful stranger. But when he thought about Gaara, he couldn't help but remember all the nightmares he had because of him. It was common for the boy to threaten his life, and there were even times where he was nearly killed because of his short temper. Whatever he felt, it wasn't nearly as steady as whatever his sister was feeling. Since when was she so protective of him anyway. The last time he checked, she was just as afraid of the Jinchuuriki as he was. "Temari-" he was cut off as a presence made himself known.

"Heal the boy. It is essential that he lives," the voice commanded.

"Kazekage-sama," the two siblings bowed slightly grudgingly. They never called him 'Otou-sama' or any of that sort. The two learned at a very early age that he was Kazekage first and a father last. A part of them even resented him for that. They were sure there was a reason he'd order it. There was always a reason he did something.

The receptionist quickly nodded, "Hai Kazekage-sama"

The robed man turn towards his children, "What caused this?" his tone cold and commanding.

"A woman in a dark robe. She had a powerful control over wind," Temari spoke.

The Kazekage was very much aware of the band of S-rank missing nins, Akatsuki. There were rumors of their real ambitions aside them being mercenaries and one of them was their goal of collecting Bijuus and Jinchuurikis alike. 'If this woman is with Akatsuki then hiring Orochimaru may have been an unwise decision. Perhaps another meeting with him should be in order,' he thought. With a wave of his hands he dismissed the two genins.

The two walked outside of the hospital. As soon as they cleared the door the older sibling swiftly brought a fist to the younger's head.

Kankuro rubbed his sour bump, "What the hell was that for?"

Temari kept her hard look, "You deserve it! You wouldn't care if your own brother got treated or not,"

"Since when do you care? An hour ago you hated him!" the boy shot back.

She only hardened her glare, "I never hated him idiot! I-"

"You were afraid," he cut in.

"He's always been so strong. He never gets hurt and never gets challenged… when I saw him losing to that woman I saw that even he isn't invincible. He still needs protection…" her tone lowered to almost a whisper, "Even though he could be one of the greatest killers I've met, Gaara is still my little brother… and he's your's too," she moved her gaze from the floor back towards Kankuro.

The brunet crossed his shoulders and turned slightly away, "Even if you say that, it doesn't change much. I don't know what kind of fraternal instincts kicked in for you but after all that he's done, I'm not sure if I could trust him as easily as you,"

Temari watched her brother walk away. It was odd that the one sibling she always feared and hid from suddenly became the one that she felt needed her the most. She only hoped that Kankuro would see that.

* * *

"Yatta! We're back!" exclaimed the blond. He was glad that they were finally home but apart of him wished they weren't, but he'd never show that emotion. He couldn't give Hinata any reason of regret.

"It's been a long trip Team. You're relieved from the mission briefing. Kakashi and I will take care of it," the female jounin announced. Team Eight gave their thanks while the other team looked at Kakashi with hopeful eyes.

The copy cat nodded to his group, "Hai, your free as well," the three genin cheered.

The six teens let out a sigh of relief. They all earned a well deserved break. Naruto turned his head towards his girlfriend to see her raise her pack to a more comfortable position, "Oi 'Nata! Lemme walk you home," he grinned.

He didn't get a chance to manage even a step towards her direction due to a hand clamping on his shoulder, "Actually Naruto, I think you should come with us," The blond slumped and the older woman looked at him strangely.

The whiskered teen knew what he meant. He gave the lavender-eyed teen an apologizing look, "Maybe next time 'Naruto-kun" she consoled. Though in reality, the girl really did need his comfort. Hinata planned on telling her father tonight, or at least as soon as she can. There wasn't really any point in trying to hide their relationship once more.

The blond walked over towards the girl, "Are you gonna go through with… you know, telling your father?" she nodded, "You know you don't have to," this time she shook her head.

"I ha… we have to. It's the only real way," her voice sounding pretty confident. He wished he could be there with her, help her get passed this giant obstacle instead of letting her do it alone.

The blond softly laid his hands around her waist and gave the blooming teen a chastise kiss, "For luck then," Hinata buried her head deep into his chest, taking a long whiff of his comforting aroma.

Sakura decided to linger for a bit, just long enough to see what kind of romantic goodbye her second favorite couple might do. She wasn't disappointed to see the sweet little moment they had. Her emerald gazers fell upon her other teammate already far down the road towards his apartment, 'that could have been us,' she sighed. A part of her couldn't help but feel jealous at the relationship those two had.

The pink-haired kunoichi followed the same road as her crush seeing as her house was in the same general direction. She wasn't enthusiastic about it.

"They're cute," Kurenai stated. Kakashi just gave a halfhearted noise for a response. He was too engrossed in his novel to really notice anything else, "I'm going to burn those books of yours one of these days," she muttered loudly.

The scarecrow spared her a glance, "So violent. Does Asuma support such qualities?" he teased. He got the reaction he was fishing for, a blushing almost spluttering jounin. She didn't say anything else, instead crossed her arms over her chest and heaved. Their relationship wasn't really a secret, but the woman never knew it was known publicly.

After one last hug, Hinata watched as Naruto walked towards the two Jounin and head off to meet the Hokage. It was around sundown and the street lights were on, but she knew the way to her house easily. She was more afraid of actually getting there than she was wandering around in the dark.

To her slight regret, the heiress arrived at her destination rather quickly. The guard at the door nodded to her as she proceeded up the steps. She managed to get inside the main house rather quietly, 'Perhaps I can save the talk with Otou-sama for tomorrow,' her nerves started getting to her.

The indigo-haired teen didn't get a chance to chicken out when a firm voice echoed from behind her, "Hinata,"

The young teen slowly turned around, "Hai, I've just arrived," she said in a tiny voice.

"Come to my office and brief me before turning in," he commanded.

With a heavy sigh she complied. The two made their way inside Hiashi's study. Her skin quickly warmed from the roaring heat of the fireplace. "I expected you back two weeks ago, yet I hear there was a follow up mission?"

"Hai. On our way back we received a message stating our assistance in a joint C… ano, initially it was a C-rank mission," she responded.

"There was trouble?"

"Unexpected enemies forced the mission level to become B to A rank Otou-sama. Demo Kurenai-sensei and Hatake-sensei were-"

The clan head cut in when the male jounin's name was spoken, "Hatake? It was his team that was joint?" Hinata froze. All she could manage was a slight nod, "Uzumaki is in that team,"

Forcing herself to break the paralysis, she opened her mouth, "H-hai,"

Hiashi's face hardened, "I though we've talked about this. If you had any pride in your clan you'd have done what was told and avoid him if possible. Had you?" the last part came out almost venomously.

This was it. There was no turning back. If she truly wanted to be with her love, she'd tell him now, "Hai," it reeked confidence, "I talked to Naruto-kun and we discovered all your lies. Everything that happened was a set-up. And I don't care what you say I _will_ keep seeing him," For the first time in her life she had boldly stood up against her father. If circumstances were different, he'd be somewhat proud of her daughters courage. There were very few who would do as she did in his presence.

"You _will_ obey me, you _will_ not see him, and you _will_ take pride in this clan. As much as I openly regret this, you are still the heiress of this clan. You have not only your status to uphold but the entire clan's reputation. This _boy_ you speak so highly of has no redeeming qualities that would have the slightest appeal to any Hyuuga," that was a flat out lie, but his blind belief and personal hatred towards all that the boy superficially represented and the simple fact that he housed a demon was enough for him to go by.

The indigo-haired kunoichi couldn't believe what she was hearing. This man had the audacity to say something completely untrue, "He's strong, brave, determined, protective, caring, motivated, and I LOVE HIM!" she shouted with all her heart. Though tears trickled down her cheek, her face was strong and her will was relentless. With arms held stiffly at her sides with fist tucked tightly, she did not give her father any ground.

"Love and any personal feelings has nothing to do with this. This is about the selfless deeds to our clan and hour honor. Nothing you can say will change my mind," that was how he wanted to close it.

But Hinata's resolve was like a mountain, "I-I… I'M PREGNANT!" a stupid spluttering mountain that acted before thinking, much like another hard-headed being. She honestly had no idea why she said that. The only thing that went through her mind was to say something big. Something that might make him reconsider. Something desperate.

He visible flinched. Not from the shout that bellowed from the usually quiet Hyuuga mouse, but from the possible repercussions this news may bring if word leaked out. "Repeat those words,"

Could she take them back? Could she pretend her father had heard wrong and mistaken pregnant for… no. Nothing rhymed with pregnant. "I-I… I m-may b-be," it was because the crickets had silenced that Hiashi was able to hear those hushed words.

This was by far the offense violation an heiress of her stature, or any heiress at all could violate. To desecrate her own virtue in such a manner was a violent blow to the clan. He had every right to disown her, or cage her with the branch seal and inflict it upon her.

"It is much to late to contemplate the shame you have brought upon us. Be in your room until your position in this clan can be arranged," those were dead words. Ones perfect for a dead daughter.

There were no goodbyes. She did not regret them. Though they were lies, she felt that it could possibly have helped her, but one thing she knew for certain. She could no longer stay in this compound. The daring teen had to leave… and leave to night she planned.

Behind her, the Hyuuga leader had plans of his own. Reaching over to his desk and applying the alarm seal, one of his trusted branch members appeared, "You summoned Hiashi-sama?"

The older man nodded, "Go to the main office at the Hokage tower and erase all records of Hinata being apart of this clan. Consider her formerly disowned… and inform the elders to prepare for a sealing," His back was turned but he knew the young man would follow his orders. Cold silver eyes glared at the diminishing flames in his hearth, as if he was able to ebb it's will away.

* * *

"… though we offered her refuge here in Konoha, she decided to stay in Nami no Kuni with our client," Kurenai finished up. She was surprised that the Sandaime took it all without an ounce of shock, then again his age only proves his experiences in odd occurrences.

"I suspected there was more to the mission," the old man said holding back the slightest snicker. Of course he knew well ahead of time what would happen, "Now you see why I provided Kakashi with back-up. As for the payment, I'll cover this for now. I'm sure Tazuna-san will readily pay for the increased cost when they recover," Hiruzen shuffled some papers on his desk and neatly stacked them in a pile, clearing his messy table.

"There is one more briefing Hokage-sama," the lazy jounin spoke. With a small motion with his head, he told the elder there was someone outside waiting.

"Ah of course. Kurenai, if you will," he gestured her exit. With a nod the red-eyed woman exited the room, but not before sending her comrade a curious glance. Her suspicions arose when a young blond entered just as she left.

"Ojii-san! We need to start planning for the Chuunin Exams!" the whiskered teen exclaimed. His baggy eyes fell upon Kakashi but noticed his usual stoic expression.

"You've informed Kakashi," Sarutobi questioned. The two nodded in reply.

Naruto took his seat in front of the Hokage's table, "I told him after he helped my fight another Oniouji. Kakashi-sensei knows about everything now," he grinned at his teacher receiving a characteristic smile in return.

The Hokage let out a relieved sigh, "That's good to know. And yes Naruto, I believe it is time we prepare for the upcoming Chuunin Exams. Do you think you can earn your title now?"

The blond's grin lowered slightly, "Hai demo… I'm not entering the Exams this year," the two older males were surprised at his answer.

"That's very noble of you to sacrifice your entry to keep your teammates out of harm's way but I'm not sure they will appreciate it," his jounin sensei criticized. He'd figure out that keeping Sasuke away would mean preventing the sealing from happening, but that was not foolproof.

The whiskered teen shook his head, "It's not just that. I didn't want them to get in the way," now they were confused. They didn't expect the blond to utter the following words, "I'm going after Orochimaru," it came out with nothing but seriousness.

"**A foolish task in your current ability,"** grumbled the demon lord.

With a hooked brow, the Sandaime watch as the young teen crumpled his face and whispered 'Urusai,' it didn't take long for him to figure things out, "I nearly forgot you could communicate with it,"

Naruto was shocked back into reality, "Ne… oh yeah,"

"What'd it say?" Kakashi asked.

Ignoring the foxes complaints about being referred as an 'it', the boy continued, "He doesn't think I should do it," he frowned.

"The Kyuubi is wise in his words. Naruto, Orochimaru is a very strong opponent. I'd thought you of all people would understand his strength. I admit that I would have much difficulty in subduing him if or when the time comes," he said solemnly.

The Jinchuuriki hoped off the chair and pounded his chest, "I might not beat him but I can do some real damage. The Kyuubi told me I can go as far as two tails and be ok, and if Kakashi-sensei and other strong people help, I know we can catch him!" his determination was clear

Kakashi's was not, "I don't remember volunteering for this assignment,"

"That's why it's called an _assignment_! You don't volunteer, so are you gonna help me or not?" the young teen pointed an accusing finger at his sensei.

"Naruto I can't allow you or any other group to ambush him. Especially not during the second phase of the exam. There are to many unknowns to consider and we may loose more than we gain," The aged man was wise enough not to plan a trap where innocents may be harmed. There was just not enough control on their part to devise a good enough offense.

"But ojii-san!" the boy tried to argue.

"No and that is final. I need you for something else. A mission that involves you entering the exams," he continued.

"What about Oro-" he was cut off.

"Don't worry about him. I'll keep tabs on your whereabouts during that stage. If Orochimaru intervenes, I'll have a powerful squad ready to engage. In fact, your sensei here will be part of this elite ANBU troop, right Inu?" referring to Kakashi's old code name being that he wore a dog mask.

Again the one-eyed jounin sighed, "I never volunteered for such a-"

"I believe that's why they call it an assignment," the old man quoted which left the jounin twitching his visible and the genin laughing loudly. It was good that in the end they were all able to share a good laugh, sadly… Naruto was the only one who really felt that way.

"We will plan more accordingly in a later time. As of now our opponent has three main goals. The first is the encounter and application of the curse seal to one Sasuke Uchiha. The second is the invasion and destruction of Konoha. And lastly…"

Slowly Kakashi stepped towards the two, away from the wall he formerly leant on, "Your death," he finished.

The old man coughed, "Ah, yes. For now our main focus is to prevent an encounter with Sasuke as well as one more… this is where you come in," he looked at the blue-eyed male, "Your task is two parts. First I will need you to train diligently for the upcoming Exam. Tell me, how many Kage Bunshins can you summon without the aid of the fox?"

The blond scratched his chin as he thought. During the battle with the last Oniouji, he was using some of Kyuubi's chakra and easily managed five hundred clones without breaking a sweat. If her were to use his own… "With all I got, I can probably make around two thousand, demo I can go a lot higher if I go to one tail," he proudly explained.

Hiruzen rubbed his jaw, mimicking the boy slightly, "I see. By the final stage of the exam I'm going to need you to create at least ten times that," this nearly made the other two people in the room to face plant.

"Nani? Why that much?" the blond cried.

"It will be explained later. I just need you to be able to manage this. The other part of the mission… well I can't exactly as a genin to do this," he trailed off.

The whiskered teen was already bouncing on the balls of his feet, "Ne ne, I'm not any ordinary genin Ojii-san!" and it was true. He was a twice genin.

"Hai, but that still doesn't matter. Nevertheless this needs to be done. It is an A rank assignment and must not be told to anyone," his face expressed the level of importance, "I need you to assassinate Yakushi Kabuto. If you believe yourself confident enough to confront the Snake Sannin himself, then his pupil should be enough to handle,"

"Wouldn't that change the outcome of things too far Hokage-sama? If he were to die, we may be change events that we know off," the silver-haired jounin commented. It was still fascinating to ponder upon the effects of time travel, and these little moments were not missed by the ever calculating copycat nin.

The aging man opened his drawer and pulled out his pipe, not bothering to light it, "Yes, I see your concern Kakashi, but don't forget he was my student before anything else. By the time of the exams, he would have invested much too many time and resources to back out if the unseen death of his right-hand man were to happen. If anything else he would be increasingly intrigued by the killer and take more of his focus on him, or in this case, Naruto. This is why I cannot ask a mere genin to take on such large responsibilities, but there are always a way around these things," he said with a grin.

The Jinchuuriki could only look at the old man as if he had gone senile. And of course the old man laughed, which further cemented the youth's beliefs. The next several minutes were used to hammer in some of the more concrete details. There were definitely more plans to be made, but not all that night. Surely the blond went home with an insanely wide grin when he was told what the Sandaime had planned. It also pained him that he couldn't tell anyone else.

'Hinata would flip if it told her… ne, I almost forgot,' his head snapped towards the direction of the Hyuuga manor. It didn't occur to him that a dribble of rain had started until he remembered the lavender-eyed kunoichi's situation. But he knew she was strong. That was one of the things he loved about her. The blond quickly rushed home to shelter himself from the rain. He truly did wish his counter part was doing as well as he was.

* * *

Hinata was not doing good. She was currently in her room controlling the small stream of liquids that leaked from her lavender gazers. On the floor were several storage scrolls, most of them completely filled with her personal stuff. During her two week mission, she'd learned the basics in storage seals, but that only left her with knowledge in sealing small items like kunais and shurikens. But it was also ideal for small notes and pictures.

On her bed was her mission pack emptied out and piles of her clothes were on her bed. She hoped no one would enter, for her intentions were as clear as day. Not wanting to spare any more time, she neatly stuffed as much of her clothes in her bag as she can as well as other large objects.

The kunoichi carefully peaked across the hall, not wanting to use her Byakugan fearing the small spike in chakra may alert someone. With all the training she learned, the brave teen snuck into a room down the hall.

Her slightly puffy eyes fell upon the one true source of love remaining in her household. "Hanabi-chan…" she set her bag down on the floor and kneeled in front of her sister's bed. "Gomen Hanabi-chan… I wish I didn't have to leave you. Even though… even though we did not see much of each other, know that… that I-I will always love you," the caring older sibling left the sleeping child a soft kiss on her forehead. It was difficult to hold back her tears, "Gomen Hanabi-chan… I couldn't be the sister you wanted me to be," she left her with those words.

She took everything she need with her. Only excess clothes and other room decors were lingered around. There were no notes telling anyone of her purpose or future locations. Only silence.

* * *

She had to more careful now then ever. It wasn't the first time she'd tried sneaking out of the compound, but this was definitely the most anxious she'd ever felt. Perhaps it was because her relationship with Naruto was literally on the line. When she stepped foot out of the estate, she thanked Kami and anyone who had helped her achieve that feat. Then with all her strength, she sprinted to a specific direction.

Hinata ignored the rain, but was thankful all the same. It felt as if the world grieved for her. She knew she could not grieve just yet. Not until she was perfectly safe. Within moments she was at the door to her haven.

Naruto had already taken a shower and was in the middle of boiling water for some ramen when her heard the door knock. The blond approached the entrance curious to see who it was. No doubt it was a shocker to see his most precious person drench carrying a stuffed bag and looked much too worse for wear.

"Can I live here?" it so odd seeing her eyes so red… he hated it. The whiskered teen would swear from that day on that she would never have to shed that much tears again.

Without a second thought he brought her to his warm embrace, shutting the harsh rain behind the door. Water dripped unto the floor as he caressed her mopped hair. She was shivering, maybe because of the cold, or perhaps due to the stress, but he did his best to warm her up.

The two didn't even notice themselves snuggled on the couch, Hinata sitting on his lap clinging to him with all she had. Softly he rubbed his thumb on her dripping cheek and kissed the tears that spilled from her shut eyes. His lips lingered around her temple as he whispered, "You were always welcome. Just forgive me for being selfish,"

* * *

**[EDIT]**: **Just to clarify, Hinata is NOT pregnant. It was just a little impulsive lie**

**Just with that beginning i kinda got you right haha. Didn't think he was just kidding lol.**

**First off, i'm not to satified by the way i wrote the Chuunin Exam conversation. It just wasn't what i had i mind when i thought up the scene two weeks ago... but i just couldn't really get to where i wanted. I hope this is well enough. I am afraid that i'm inconsistent in the way i'm portraying Naruto. Did he go from being mature to being back to his original 13 self? That's what i get for taking long breaks between writing :/  
**

**An ok it was pretty obvious i got carried away with the whole Gaara part. Just wanted to show you guys Naruto isn't the only one being hunted right now... and don't forget Akatsuki. Have lots of plans for these guys. As for Temari... i know i might not have grasped her completely, but i rather enjoyed the way i portrayed her... so much even that she will get a bigger role than i ever planned (being couple with Shika the magnificent of course haha) so there you have 3 solid couples... for now... well four if you count Asuma and Kurenai.**

**What else... oh right. after a lot of thought i realized where and how far i'm going to go with this fic. After two more chapters, i'm abandoning this... it's just to much to take right now and college starts in a week (i'll be a freshman) so i won't have time... I'm so sorry.... that i JUST FOOLED YOU AHAHAHA. I'm NOT quiting!!! yeah right :P. though it will be tough for me from now on. But i'll manage. Promise i'll be writing often. Just KEEP REVIEWING and please PLEASE SOMEONE PLEASE KEEP BUGGING ME ABOUT WRITING. I'll write if someone nags... (the way my odd self works lol)**

**Anyways, i was serious about where i'm ending this fic. I'll end it where pre-shippuuden ended, but with a twist. So this may run on til a few chapters before 40. My guess is 38... maybe. Go ahead and try to guess. If you stick around long enough and guess right, i'll send you a trophy... an invisible intangible one that can only be held with imagination haha.**

**So next chapter... More fluff... a bit of Drama... so humor of course... hmm... Cool Stuff NOW REVIEW!!!**

* * *

**((Side Story))**

**The basic and most well known definition of "Dattebayo", Naruto's catchphrase is "Believe it". But after extensive research with a variety of leading professionals in many fields, i have assimilated the perfect definition of "Dattebayo"... this word is...**

**"Fo Sho"**

**Ex1: "Sakura-chan, I'll save Sasuke and that's a promise dattebayo" - "Sakura-chan, I'll save Sasuke and that's a promise Fo SHo"**

**Ex2: "Itai! Sakura-chan that hurt 'Tebayo" - "Itai! Sakura-chan that hurt F'Sho"**

**Ex3: "Ne Hinata-chan... i lost your jacket Dattebayo!" - "Ne Hinata-chan... i lost your jacket... Aw Fo Sho!!!"**

**

* * *

**

**Time to... REVIEW!!!!**

**!~!~!PLEASE READ ****BELOW STATEMENT!~!~!**

**EDIT: If the site is not letting you review due to double posting, simply sign out and review anonymously and sign it with your usual account name. Thanks for everything and sorry for the inconvenience. I deleted the A/N chapter so that brings it down one chapter.**

**!~!~!PLEASE READ ABOVE STATEMENT!~!~!  
**

**(O)**

**H**

**H  
**

**/ . \**

**\ | /**

**V  
**


	19. Her Last Clan Meeting

**Ok this is pretty much a fluff chapter… well at least the first half is. I wanted to get the whole Hyuuga ordeal done and set aside in this one chapter… but it didn't quite turn out like that… but it's fine. I ended it with a nice little cliffy :D**

**Oh! And couple things I did here. I decided that pretty much all new translations will be made within '( )' following the Japanese word. But you'll see that soon enough. I also decided to cut back on some Jap. Vocab though I will still include more of the notable words mostly greetings and exclamations.**

**Also added a new OC. But no biggie, just a minor character…Well now… on with the story :D**

**Disclaimer: by definition, something that's useless for fanfiction writers to even make but… I don't own Naruto…**

**

* * *

**

The sun had arisen hours before she woke up. Thin streams of gold warmed her face, forcing her to roll away. However, she soon realized there were covers that impeded her movement… and these weren't her normal beddings.

Hinata opened her eyes to find an unfamiliar ceiling. 'What time is it?' it was much later than she normally woke. The young girl hadn't realized just how tired she had been, perhaps more mentally fatigued than physically. Carefully, she pushed the covers off of her while stretching out her cramped limbs.

Lavender eyes began scanning the room to find a familiar bulky jacket hanging over the window along with her pants. She quickly looked down at her lap to see the gray cotton of sweat pants. The girl blushed as her mind began recollecting the events of last night. 'So this is… all real,' she thought bitter-sweetly. Thankfully the smell of breakfast was able to distract her for the moment.

"Itai!" came a shout from the kitchen.

The lavender-eyed teen peeked through the door and found her blond roommate cooking yakimono (pan-fried meat) rather clumsily. The splatters of oil around the oven were proof enough. She quietly approached the whiskered teen and wrapped her slender arms around his waist.

Naruto jerked slightly with surprise, "Ah! Oh… Mornin' 'Nata" he said looking over his shoulder with a grin.

"Ohayo," she said, her voice muffled due to her face buried into the boy's back. A small giggle escaped her lips when she realized they wore matching pants, "Did you u-undress me last night?" she already knew the answer to that but it was fun to hear him answer.

"Ne, err… hai. But you were wet and I thought you might get sick so," he was cut off by the tight squeeze around his waist.

"Arigato," she whispered.

They stayed relatively quiet whilst he continued his attempt at cooking a legitimate breakfast, but showed obvious signs of difficulty, "Did I put too much oil?" this was followed with another hit by a stray burst of hot oil.

Hinata giggled at her boyfriend's antics before letting go of his waist and assuming chef position, "I'll take it from here," and with a sigh, the blond forfeited his spatula. But before he could back off, the Hyuuga grabbed his arm and motioned them around her frame.

With his nose buried into her hair, Naruto watched the girl push the meat off to the side of the pan while reaching over to the carton of eggs, adding two to the mix, "Sometimes I can't tell if you were meant to be a ninja or a chef," he whispered in her ear.

"No 'house wife' this time?" she giggled, referring to the last time he caught her in the kitchen in Tazuna's home.

"Hmm… does that mean you'd clean up too?" he teased.

Though he couldn't see it, the blond knew there was a tiny pout on her face, "I'm not a maid,"

This time Naruto chuckled, "I'd rather have a girlfriend anyways. 'Cause I don't think I could do this with a maid," He whispered the last line quietly as he pulled the tiny girl even closer to his body and nibbled on her right ear.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she squeaked as he refused to quit his light ministrations around the side of her face and down her neck. He let his hands wander up and down her sides before finally sneaking under the teen's shirt and lightly rubbing her flat stomach, "I C-can't… food,"

Naruto snuggled his chin on her neck's tickle-spot, "Mnn… did ya say something?"

Her face felt hot… almost as much as the pan in front of her, "T-the food… y-you're making me b-burn it," she said while turning off the stove.

The blond grinned sheepishly as he slowly let go of his embrace, "Oops… ano, gomen Hinata. This was supposed to be a surprise for you when you woke up. You know, like breakfast in bed,"

She turned around and gave him a warm smile, "its fine… I'm not very hungry right now. But thank you… I… I really appreciate it," the way he grinned proudly gave a sense of assurance, "Ano, would it be alright if we just lie down for a minute… I… think I'm still a bit tired,"

The whiskered teen knew she'd had a rough night. And though he wasn't exactly sure what happened, the fact that she had shown up at his door crying asking for a place to stay meant something big happened, "Sure. Just uh… go rest for a while. I'll clean up here,"

A small smile graced her face as she shook her head. Without another word she took his hand and led him to the bedroom. Needless to say, Naruto was a bit taken back. It wasn't the first time they snuggled, but something about her being somewhat forward forced a blush to his face.

Hinata pulled back the covers and slipped onto one side leaving a large and inviting place for the blond to occupy. Nervously, he followed, lying on his right side while lightly draping an arm around her waist. He definitely didn't expect her to push back her entire frame, molding so perfectly against him.

"Please Naruto-kun… just hold me," her voice was quite and very solemn. It left no room for refusal, not that he would let that be an option.

The young man snaked his buried arm under his girlfriend, meeting his other limb and enclosing the female in a security blanket of himself, "Ne, I'm not sure what happened the other day… but I'm really happy that you're living here now…"

The young kunoichi felt glad she had someone that could lighten her heart so. This made her a bit confused to what triggered the small tear the slipped her eye.

"I know this place isn't a big as your other place… and I know I don't have chefs and maids to keep this place clean and stuff, but I promise I'll do my best to keep you happy ok? I don't ever want you to regret moving here so…" He felt her small body shift in his arms and roll over to face him, drawing herself practically on top of the blond's chest.

"I don't regret coming here! Naruto-kun I…" she trailed off, trying to think exactly what to say.

The teen looked down at his chest to meet her pleading gaze, "I'm glad then," he leaned down to kiss her forehead but was surprised when…

Hinata turned away from his stare, feeling a small peck land on her temple. Even then she was unsure of how to tell him the story. But after sometime and a deep breath she found enough courage, "I ran away,"

His chest rose abruptly, "Wha-why?"

And as if that wasn't enough of a surprise, "I told my otou-san that I was… that I was pregnant," she had braced herself enough to not be startled when his body rolled over letting them both lye on the bed facing each other.

"You told him what!?" he didn't mean to raise his voice so much.

She flinched, "I… gomen. I-I don't know w-why I said that. I… p-please don't be angry with me, j-just please don't be mad," her eyes were shut tight, too afraid to see his reaction.

He hated himself for making her feel so insecure with such ease, "Hey shh it's ok. I'm not mad or anything. I'm just ano, really surprised. I mean I can't even imagine you saying that to a complete stranger much less your dad,"

Feeling that he was sincere in saying he wasn't angry, Hinata crawled her hand over his chest and clutch the cotton tightly, "Gomen, it was still really stupid of me,"

The blond laughed, shattering whatever tension lingered the air, "I know you pretty well 'Nata, and one thing you're not is stupid… but I wouldn't think you'd tell your dad _that_ either so…" he joked.

The kunoichi pursed her lips and thumped on his chest lightly, "I was scared a-and a little bit mad ok. When I told him _that_, he was yelling at me a-and kept saying that you had no redeeming qualities," she explained. Her slim fingers kept clenching and unclenching his shirt, which for the moment seemed like the most fascinating thing to look at, "I couldn't stand him saying all that. He didn't want me to have anything to do with you and I just… I wanted to say something that might make him change his mind,"

Naruto couldn't help be awed at her. Not only had she stood up against her father, but she defended him. And in a way, he was the reason she had left, "Was it really because of me?" he said more to himself than to her.

Hinata raised her head to find glistening blue eyes staring at her, "It wasn't only because of you… but you were what gave me the courage to do it. I don't regret leaving… so please don't regret it either,"

He didn't know what to say, 'But you left your clan, your family. I'm not worth it if you had a choice,' but the blond knew better than to say that. Rather, he settled with a simple, "Are you sure?"

The lavender-eyed teen gave another heart-melting smile, "Of course!"

There were several moments in his life where he knew something amazing just happened, whether it was predicted a life time ago, or a sudden epiphany that blew in his face, and this right here was definitely one of those moments.

His rough and somewhat shaky hand slid up her arm and nested itself on the side of her jaw. The former Hyuuga shivered at the contact. She could see his pupils dart around as if studying every part of her face so intently. Little by little their faces moved closer till their foreheads rested against each other, "You're amazing you know that?" he whispered.

Hinata inched nearer, gliding her nose along his until their lips shared each breath, "Just trying to be more like you,"

His laugh tickled her upper lip. With very little effort he was able to cover her mouth with, though only lasting a couple seconds, "I love you Hinata," his lips flapped against hers as he spoke intimately.

The girl could taste the warm ramen in his breath which she found strangely comforting. She pressed her face further and deepened the soft kiss. After a moment she withdrew letting her eyes focus at his half-lidded ones, "I love you too," she stole another kiss, "So… so much,"

He smiled. "Good. I don't plan on letting you go,"

She reassumed her previous position on top of his chest, "Then don't let me go… ever," and once again they kissed.

Her hands gripped his shoulders as she put more pressure on the kiss while his hands roamed her sides. Naruto wasn't used to having his girlfriend be so forward, but was happy nonetheless, even more so when he felt a damp appendage slide across his lips. Unsure what to do, he let his instincts take over and slowly parted his lips.

She'd never felt so bold before, but the teen knew she was growing up. Hinata enjoyed the feel of her love nibble on her upper pink edge as she began to do the same with his lower. Then gradually, her tongue crossed into ramen-flavored domain.

Naruto's eyes shot up the moment he felt her tongue touched his, "'Nata?"

Her face pulled back revealing a growing blush, "A-an adult kiss,"

He matched her blush before closing his eyes and leaning into another adult kiss. It started off a bit sloppy, merely exploring uncharted territory, but they quickly learned what felt nice and what didn't. They remained in bed for the longest time, kissing, holding, and never letting go. What seemed like seconds were turned into minutes, and then into an hour. Neither of them had a care about the world outside that room. They only wished to be left alone for that moment.

* * *

Waking up was a very odd sensation. The best way he could describe it was killing someone slowly as their body shuts down limb by limb… but reverse. Eventually he felt that he regained full mobility of his body, but the light throbbing headache kept him from doing much.

"Gaara, are you awake?" a feminine voice called out.

The jinchuuriki recognized the voice, though the tone was new, "I am,"

She smiled though he wasn't looking, "You've been passed out all night. Not that it's bad but, well you know," the blonde said nervously.

"He is… dormant for the moment," he explained while keeping his eyes shut, away from the blinding florescent lighting.

Temari hooked an eyebrow, "He? You've always called it 'mother',"

"I was mistaken. Or do you believe Shikaku is your mother?" she shook her head ardently, "Then it's illogical to call it my mother if not yours,"

The way he spoke, and the fact that he embraced the fact that they were family tugged something in her, "I'm glad you feel this way. But what exactly happened that made you realize all this?"

His eyes winced as it opened to greet bright unmerciful lights and quickly turned away to meet his sister's gaze, "I had a vision. I saw our okaa-san holding a baby. I believe that was me and the woman holding me was not Shukaku,"

"You had a dream of kaa-san?" she sounded surprised.

Gaara nodded, "Hai, a dream," he looked down at his hands and clenched his hands in and out in a fisting motion. Out of vague curiosity he brought a fingernail down on his skin and pierced it.

The blonde's eyes widened seeing a small droplet of red ooze out of his pale skin, "Gaara! What are you doing!?"

"He is dormant and my armor is not on," he said calmly. The boy embraced this new feeling, though this 'pain' was nothing like what he had felt in his last battle, 'Is this what my victims feel?'

His sibling furrowed her brows, "Idiot, you didn't have to cut yourself," she didn't even realize the tone of voice she was using on him. The young woman reached for the medicine cabinet and pulled out a small jar of anti-septic wipe and a band-aid, "Give me your arm," she demaned.

Gaara was curious about this tone she used so casually. He'd only ever heard it when used against his other sibling, and a very few selected time during his blood-soaked battles. He watched the teen wipe his arms and apply the bandage though he remained quite.

"There, now you won't get an infection," she looked back at his face to find him looking blankly at her, "What?"

"Arigato,"

Temari smiled softly as she waved him off, "Ie ie. Just because your strong doesn't mean I'm still not responsible of you," her blue eyes fixated on his face, which seemed to struggle at the expression it wanted to make. After a few seconds of failed attempt at what she hoped would have been a smile she spoke, "So your demon's knocked out?"

"Hai. I'd like to sleep while he's still away," he spoke

The kunoichi nodded, "I'll try dimming the lights for you,"

Even with his eyes closed he could feel the lights turn down to a comfortable setting, "Do you think I will dream of okaa-san again?"

Unconsciously, her hand grazed her arms, rubbing it softly, "You can't really choose your dreams Gaara. Sometimes you can't even control them," she could see the disappointment in his face, "But if you think about her hard enough, then maybe you will,"

"I see," he rolled to his side, away from the older teen.

She got up quietly and turned towards the door. Before she closed it on herself she whispered, "Sweet dreams Gaara. Tell kaa-san I said hi,"

Sadly no one was able to see the small smile that grew on the jinchuuriki's face. His body was still but his mind was at work thinking about the woman who gave birth to him and loved him so much that maybe he may see her once more.

* * *

"So I think we should go see ojii-san," the blond said with his chin propped up by both his hands.

Hinata felt a bit awkward being the only one eating, but the blond seemed content with just watching her, "It's probably best. I don't want any more trouble with me moving here… or leaving the compound," she said uneasily.

"Ne, that's not something you should be worried about. I told you I'm not letting you go and with the Hokage backing us up there'll be no problem at all," the blond exuded confidence.

The kunoichi finished the last piece of her rolled omelet and pushed the plate aside, "I trust you Naruto-kun it's just… I've never known a Hyuuga to leave the compound without the curse seal," though to be fair, a Hyuuga leaving the clan was rare in itself.

"Well then you'll be the first!" he exclaimed. Hinata smiled weakly and was about to speak again when the door knocked, "I'll get it,"

He wasn't sure who it was, though if it was any of his teammates, he made sure he was ready to gloat about the new living arrangement, "Ehh? Anbu-san?"

The cat-masked Anbu nodded to him, "Hokage-sama wishes to see you immediately, as well as Hyuuga Hinata if she is within the premises,"

The lavender-eyed teen pushed her chair back and walked behind her roommate, "Hai, I'm here,"

"Then he'll be expecting you both soon," the feminine voice said. With a fancy exit, via Shunshin, the kunoichi disappeared.

"Ojii-san wants to see us? That's just got to be a good sign!" the blond said excitedly.

Hinata however was not so confident. Something in her gut kept telling her the call from the Hokage was more than mere coincidence. But even then she tried to put up a strong front, hiding her worries.

The two made good time in getting to the Hokage's office. Though if they really knew what was waiting for them, they would have taken their time.

"Ojii-san! You call… what the hell?" he exclaimed. Next to the old nin stood four people. On his left Hiashi was poised between two Hyuuga guards while Kurenai was to his right standing her ground albeit hinting hostility. Her fist gripped hard at her side.

The Sandaime looked sorrowful as he ushered the boy in, "Close the door Naruto, there's something we all need to discuss.

The blond walked closer making sure to stand protectively in front of his girlfriend, "Why are _they_ here?" he seethed.

"There are matters that we must work out Hinata. Let us go back to the compound," the Hyuuga elder commanded, completely ignoring the blond.

"Hell no! She's not going anywhere with you," the Jinchuuriki slashed the air in front of him with his arm. He then looked at the village leader for some kind of answer but all he got was a sad shake of his head, "What the hell's going on!" he repeated.

"Hyuuga-san has specifically asked that no one interfere in an upcoming clan event," Hiruzen said.

Hinata's eyes widened. She should've known this would happen. Her eyes darted between the sad Hokage and the frustrated looking Kunoichi, "K-Kurenai-sensei?" though she couldn't quite look at her student in the eye after feeling like she had failed.

Naruto began to slowly back up, making sure there was plenty of room between the Hyuugas and himself, "No one and I mean _no one_ is going to take her away!" he all but yelled.

"We never needed permission to take the girl back. We only wanted to make sure there was no interference. Now Hinata, let's go," Hiashi said as he took a step towards the two.

The whiskered nin lowered himself into a defensive stand as his eyes gradually turned into slits and the marks on his face began to thicken, "Come closer and I'll kill you," his entire being seeped malice.

Hiashi disregarded the threat and took another step.

Naruto tensed as he readied to pounce, "Naruto stand down! You'll risk your ninja status attacking a fellow shinobi of the leaf," the Hokage warned.

Orders be damned. He wouldn't let anyone take her away from him and anyone even thinking of branding a seal on her was asking for death. But just as he made movement towards the opposing threat he felt a firm resistance in his arm, "Hinata?"

"Please Naruto-kun. I… I don't w-want you to get into trouble," she whispered.

Seeing the yondaime's legacy calm down he tried to reason with him, "It's not over yet Naruto. We'll find a way to make sure she'll be safe," he didn't care that the Hyuugas were in the room.

"They're gonna put the seal her! Can't you see that!?" he asked ridiculously while pointing an accusing finger at the clan elder. The blond just couldn't understand why he was the only one really doing anything against them. His blue eyes stared down the aging Hokage looking for a reason to back off. Yet the way the man held his own showed that there was alternative of some kind aside directly violating clan rights. He then let his gaze fall towards the girl gripping his arm, "I can't let you go… I don't want you to leave," he whispered desperately.

The lavender-eyed girl moved her hands up to his shoulders, getting a firm grip, "I'll be ok… I know you'll find another way," her smile was so genuine… so genuine that it broke his heart to let her go.

"We take our leave now Hokage-sama," he said with no passion and rudely interrupting a nice moment between the young couple.

Naruto used all the strength he had to keep himself from lifting his arms and holding his love protectively fearing he'd never let go. Even when she brought her arms around his waist for one last hug, he stood firm. But before she left the embrace he leaned down and whispered, "Stall as long as you can… I'll come for you,"

She nodded firmly before turning around and putting on a cold face for the three Hyuugas.

It pained him to watch her walk out the door, but he held his tongue… at least until the door closed, "Damn it. What the hell do we do now!?" he cursed.

"We find a loophole. And we don't have much time," the red-eyed jounin spoke, "Hokage-sama, do they have any books on Hyuuga tradition in your library?"

Hiruzen smirked while reaching in his desk for a single key. He tossed the metal object to the kunoichi, "We'll have to see," the elder then pressed a button on his intercom and spoke, "Mayuri, could you do us a favor and retrieve the personal files of Hyuuga Hinata from the filing room? And we're in a bit of a hurry,"

The tiny brunette from down the hall confirmed the request over the transmitter before rushing towards the land of grey cabinets.

"C'mon! let's go!" the blond shouted, rushing out the door towards the Hokage's personal library.

* * *

Hinata did her best to make the walk to the compound as slow as possible. Sadly it did not last as long as she hoped.

"There is no reason for stalling the inevitable. Have some dignity and move forward or we will do it for you," the clan elder warned without sparing the girl a single glance.

Still she remained defiant, choosing to walk at a leisurely pace, "Couldn't I simply enjoy what little freedom I have left," her voice was firm. The girl would not let her father have the satisfaction of tearing her down.

Hiashi paused for a breath, shaking his head at his thoughts, "I'm saddened that you hadn't found a better source of courage," 'if only she'd been like this from the start, then Hinata would have become a worthy heir,'

The kunoichi let her cold mask down, "I don't understand why you believe Naruto-kun is so inadequate. He is a strong ninja and holds values that could only inspire others,"

"It is that selfish want and blindness to the boy's true nature that has brought you here," the man scolded.

And there he went again, accusing Naruto of being everything that he was not. She hated it, "You are the blind one father! Even with the Byakugan, why is it that you cannot see something that's so clearly in front of you?" the lavender-eyed kunoichi retorted.

The Hyuuga elder would have no more. If she chose to look through clouded eyes rather than those of the clan then she would be better off sealed. With a simple wave of his hand the two guards rushed towards the smaller Hyuuga and struck several key points disabling her limbs before leaving her unconscious, "One of you bring her to the compound immediately. I want everything set up by the time I arrive,"

There would be no struggle. Only an easy toss over the shoulder and a jagged ride over rooftops as the sleeping kunoichi become closer and closer to her future jail. But to Hiashi, it was nothing more than a solution to the clan's problem.

* * *

'Nothing' 'Damn it' 'C'mon' 'Still nothing' a string of shouts echoed the small room as several blonds paced, each holding a book in hand. It had only been several minutes but he did not want to waste a single moment. Kage Bunshin turned out to be the perfect solution to their time limit.

The sound of the secured door opening caught everyone's attention, "Gomen Hokage-sama, I cannot find any records of 'Hyuuga Hinata'," the short secretary said with a bow.

'Hmm… it could be misplaced, though that would be too convenient,' the old man thought, "Naruto, could you assist Mayuri-san in the file room?" he need not say more.

The whiskered boy gave a quick nod before grabbing the clerical worker's hand and dashing with her muffled directions.

Now Mayuri was never the most… together kind of girl. She was still young, being at the age of 20, but had insisted in taking the job after her mother retired from the same position. Sadly she was a bit ditsy and prone to accidents, qualities that weren't well received in her line of work. But the girl did her best to make sure things went fine, though most of the time her effort went to fixing her own mistakes, though this time she would be cleaning a mess far above her own level.

'Nothing' 'Damn it' 'C'mon' 'Still nothing' another string of shouts were heard along with the sound of papers flittering across the room. Every other cabinet was stationed with a whiskered boy whose sole focus was finding a specific manila folder regardless of the mess it created.

She hadn't moved since she entered but her shoulder length dark brown hair was frizzling just looking at the chaos "Ano… do you have to make… such a big mess… Naruto-san!" she said while dodging paper projectiles. She knew well the horrors of paper-cuts.

"Gomen nee-chan but I'm kind of in a rush," the one she suspected to be the real Naruto shouted.

The woman could only sigh as another folder was tossed her way. She'd never been as big of a mess before… aside a few odd incident with the two elite chuunin, Izumo and Kotetsu. And she still couldn't understand what exactly those two wanted with her. The brunette was obviously not the only dense one in the room. But she didn't want to be the only one not helping.

After short journey through the frantic room, the assistant made her way to the only unmanned cabinet. This was for the more miscellaneous cases, whether it be orphans, strangers with unknown last names… or people who'd lost theirs. And it just so happened that on top of the neatly organized row was a folder labeled '___ Hinata'. The brunette swiftly opened the covers and peered with chocolate eyes through several pages dutifully noting the many blanks in the reports, "Naruto-san, I think I found something,"

And like magic, the papers froze… well not in mid air, but the instant silence gave it the effect. It didn't last two seconds as a couple dozen poofs waved across the room, "Nani? Let me see!" the teen leapt over piles of papers, almost slipping on a few stray ones.

Mayuri closed the cover and handed it to the younger boy, "It has 'Hinata' on it but I'm afraid that's all,"

Naruto skimmed through the first few pages much like Mayuri had done but frowned at the many blank spaces found where it should mention Hyuuga. After recognizing a few key topics, an academy photo being one of them, he put on a wide grin, "This is it! Tsanks nee-chan,"

The secretary could do little to stop him as he darted out of the room, "This is going to take a while…" she whispered to herself while disparaging her next task of reorganizing this mess. Yup this was definitely worse than being part of the tug-o-war between the two elite chuunins… nope she just didn't understand what was going on between Izumo and Kotestu.

After a short sprint Naruto had made it back to the Hokage's private library. The dispersal of Naruto's clones not 20 seconds earlier gave the two occupants a sign that he'd stumbled across something. "I found Hinata's records!"

Kurenai gave a sign of partial relief as she walked towards the blond, "Did you find anything helpful?" she asked.

Naruto's smile dropped as he handed the folder over, "I don't know. Not really I guess,"

The kunoichi hastily noticed the error in the name and after looking at several pages, a single thought popped in her head, "Her records have been altered. Not one thing here mentioned Hyuuga… which means she's been disowned"

The jinchuuriki frowned as he crossed his arms, "Obviously,"

"That means she has no obligation to the Hyuuga!" the red-eyed woman nearly shouted

It only took a second for him to catch on, "A loop hole!"

Sarutobi smiled at the revelation, "Well then, you two have a sealing to stop," but by the time he finished his sentence, the two were already out of the room.

It took exactly ten minutes for Hiashi to arrive at the main hall of the Hyuuga compound. And from there it took two minutes for all final preparations to be completed…

… Naruto got there in a total of thirteen minutes.

* * *

The sight was fascinating to the two people. Perhaps it was fit to dub this place the land of eternal rain… then again they weren't in much of a mood to be gazing the wonders of the town.

"Why do you wish to join our establishment?" a hooded man calmly asked the two strangers.

The larger of the two took a step closer, "I am told we have a common task," the woman behind him nodded in agreement.

"That may be but our interest traverse one another. There is also a matter of loyalty," his black cloak seemed to deflect the rain, as if the droplets feared its red clouds.

"I can assure you our loyalty would go to your group and it's superiors," the green-haired woman said, well aware of the implications that the man in front of then was not the leader.

From under his hood the man couldn't help but smirk. Past the orange hairs that poked out of the hood and even beyond his Rinnegan was a man who felt that having two demon possessed ninjas under his command wouldn't be such a bad idea, "Then welcome… Onioujas,"

* * *

**Woo… a double Cliffy!!! **

**I actually had a little more written which included the scene that had to do with Hinata's sealing along with its cliffhanger. Yup, I actually had another twist planned on it… but I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter.**

**Not really sure how I came up with Mayuri (the name) but I might have read it somewhere because the name wrote itself as if by magic! But I did enjoy writing her character. I initially wanted to pair her up with Haku… but I realized I made Haku a GIRL… damn why did I do that anyway??? Shit**

**Anyways expect a finish of this little Hyuuga arc by next chapter along with some Naruto (and maybe Hinata) training fun. I plan to add a few more fluff moments with other characters but that might have to wait.**

**Will Hinata be Sealed? YOUR REVIEW might decide her fate!!!**

**(if it's not letting you review please sign out and review anonymously. Thank you and sorry for the inconvinence)  
**

**(O)  
**

**Y  
**

**ll**

**/.l.\  
**

**\.|./**

**V**


End file.
